A few years ago, if someone believed in a BlackBerry device running Android, many would have called them crazy, right? But times change, and the Canadian company's moves haven't been good enough. What once seemed like madness now looks set to become a reality. We're obviously talking about the BlackBerry Venice , a model that's been rumored for some time and appears set to hit the market before the end of 2015.
According to reports, the BlackBerry Venice is nearing completion, and as expected, it will use Android as its operating system . This represents a significant shift for the company. Furthermore, it raises serious questions about the future of its own Android development, which not long ago was a hallmark of the company (and of security, let's not forget). Therefore, this is no small move for the manufacturer, who may be looking to Google's work as a way to improve its market position.
The fact is, as you can see below, it has been leaked that the BlackBerry Venice will be released in November 2015 , first in the US (something that shouldn't surprise anyone). By the way, it's worth paying attention to the image accompanying the message, as it's quite interesting…
BlackBerry Venice confirmed for November release on all four national US carriers. pic.twitter.com/l5jFCGKLjO
— Evan Blass (@evleaks) August 19, 2015
Apart from confirming the use of Android, what has attracted me the most about the published drawings is on the one hand that the device would not integrate physical keyboard (This would come through the use of access that can be removed, undoubtedly something attractive but that we have already seen from the hand of Samsung when introducing their new phablets). In addition, the "mirroring" option advertised, with which it seems that through a specific application it would be possible to connect the BlackBerry Venice with other devices such as laptops and televisions.
Android as a lifesaver
Clearly, this is BlackBerry's intention: to use the Android operating system as a way to escape its shrinking market share. It's not a bad idea, that's true, but we'll have to see how it addresses some very important issues. The first is how it handles security , critical for current users of this company's devices, and always a point of contention in Google's work (for example, we mustn't forget the Stagefright vulnerability ).
Furthermore, its arrival on the Android platform isn't new, and therefore, with BlackBerry Venice (just as will happen with Nokia if it ultimately uses this operating system upon its return), it must include something that sets it apart and makes the BlackBerry Venice attractive, and this is truly difficult at the moment. Otherwise, it risks becoming just another model in a highly competitive market, where Asian companies currently dominate. Will this company be able to make a splash?