While the rumor and speculation talk of the next Nexus devices is at its pivotal point right now with its impending launch, the big surprise news of the day came through earlier this morning when BlackBerry essentially confirmed not only the existence of a BlackBerry Android device, but also that it will not be called the BlackBerry Venice as expected, but instead, the BlackBerry PRIV. Although the naming might seem a little strange on first hearing, it does make some sense when you consider that BlackBerry is known for their emphasis on privacy. On that note and following today’s news, BlackBerry CEO, John Chen, has been offering a few more details on the BlackBerry PRIV though an explanation blog post on the BlackBerry site.
In short, Chen confirms that the naming of the device is essentially to highlight the company’s emphasis on security and the protection of data and privacy. Chen also makes reference to the keyboard by explaining that the PRIV is designed for those who “miss the physical keyboard” but “need apps“. As such, Chen notes that BlackBerry is responding to those BlackBerry users “who need it all“.
On the point of converting to Android, Chen makes two very clear points. Firstly, this move is due to the large market that Android has become and now offers. According to Chen, Android is a “tremendous new market opportunity” for BlackBerry and they offer Android users an opportunity to maintain their Android features while also gaining “greater productivity and power privacy features“. For the BlackBerry users who are not looking to migrate to Android, Chen does note that they will continue to support their own OS with new updates over the coming year.
Finishing up and in the light of the criticisms the company has received and the suggestions that this is more of a move of desperation by BlackBerry than anything else, in finished the blog post, Chen highlights that Blackberry is a “new company“, one which has a “new life” and one which plans to continue surprising both its users and the industry alike. For those interested, you can read the full blog post by hitting the source link below.