BlackBerry Venice images have once again found their way onto the web. This time we have a few high-quality images of this upcoming handset courtesy of Android Authority, giving nice close-up views of the gadget.
Chrome could be the default browser for Venice
Similar to the earlier images, the leaked images show the device with a slide-out QWERTY keyboard. This would definitely appeal to the die-hard BlackBerry fans interested in hugely popular Google’s app ecosystem. BlackBerry last introduced a slide-out keyboard with the Torch models back in 2011. The leaked images indicate Chrome could be the main browser option on the device, suggesting customers will not be stuck using BlackBerry’s default web browser.
According to a report from N4BB, other expected features and specifications of the device are a 5.4-inch Quad HD display and an 18 MP rear camera. The device will run on the powerful 1.8GHz Snapdragon 808 processor and come with 3GB RAM. BlackBerry is expected to release the device on all the four major American carriers in November.
Is this the right strategy for BlackBerry?
If BlackBerry comes out with an Android phone (though nothing is confirmed for now), it will be the first time that BlackBerry has ditched it own OS. By making a device that runs on Android – the most popular smartphone OS in the world – the Canadian firm is hoping to attract a larger number of users.
BlackBerry Venice is an effort to show that making secure devices for enterprise customers running on the Android OS is very much possible. At the same time, retail customers will be able to enjoy the Google-centric experience expected from Android devices.
In August, Neil Mawston, executive director at Strategy Analytics, told CNBC that BlackBerry “is taking the view that if you can’t beat them, join them.” There was a time when BlackBerry’s OS was very popular across the world, but its popularity has faded over the past few years. Therefore, in an attempt to address the larger market on the consumer side, it had to introduce devices running the Android OS.
Presently, BlackBerry holds a minute share of the global smartphone market. The firm’s overall hardware business is not faring very well, as a year-on-year decline of 30.6% was noted in the three months ending May 30th.
