BlackBerry's homegrown operating system, BB10, wasn't able to bring back the company to its days of glory. With the Priv, however, a device that mixed in Google's ubiquitous mobile operating system and Waterloo's expertise in hardware and security, the company has managed to put itself back on track. As it goes, BlackBerry wants to capitalize on its venture with the Android as it plans to only release smartphones that run on the operating system, according to reports.
In an interview at the Consumer Electronics Show 2016 in Las Vegas, BlackBerry Chief Executive John Chen has confirmed that the company has plans to release one new handset, which also would likely be followed up with a second phone this year. The news comes after the announcement that the Big Red, T-Mobile and Sprint will be selling the company's very first Android-powered smartphone, the Priv about two months after its exclusive deal with AT&T.
Chen, however, declined to comment on when the upcoming handsets would be released or what specifications will be in tow. Roughly two months into sales of the Priv, however, it's "so far, so good," Chen said. "I'm taking a cautiously optimistic view."
As for which handset would be first released, rumors point out to the Vienna, which has surfaced last year. If its also an indication, a video of a BlackBerry Passport Silver Edition running Android Lollipop meant that Google's operating system on existing BlackBerry hardware is indeed possible. Further rumors also suggest that the device is now under development, and new renders make it out to be a stretched Passport.
Chen has been hard at work putting the company back to its feet with his decisions as of late, and the Priv has managed to pull newcomers and even the BlackBerry faithfuls with its latest features, as well as the benefits of Android. However, his latest news and comments regarding the company's future handsets would seem bad news for fans of the company's BlackBerry 10 operating system.
