Future BlackBerry-branded Android handsets may support wireless charging and even a phone-to-PC solution reminiscent of the Samsung Desktop Experience (DeX) platform, according to a newly leaked sketch of an accessory designed for one such device. Originally shared by known industry insider Evan Blass earlier today, the device seen in the image above is said to be in development at Optiemus Infracom, one of BlackBerry’s product partners that holds the rights to manufacture and sell products bearing the Canadian company’s brand in India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh. The gadget in question is shaped like an emblem, features a single port likely meant for powering it, and was presumably designed to be used as a pad, with wireless charging being its likeliest intended use.
Given BlackBerry’s focus on the enterprise segment and the fact that its solutions are still being advertised as the most secure mobile products and services for business clients, a phone-to-PC solution may also be something that the firm and its partners would be willing to explore, with such systems often being advertised to users who do a lot of work-related traveling. BlackBerry itself isn’t manufacturing smartphones any longer but still contributes to the process of designing the new handsets launched as part of its ecosystem. Its India-based partner was most recently said to have been developing a BlackBerry device code-named “Ghost,” with that product supposedly lacking a physical QWERTY keyboard and instead being envisioned as a more conventional contemporary smartphone with slim bezels and an all-screen aesthetic.
Optiemus has previously been selling the DTEK50 and DTEK60 but has yet to manufacture a BlackBerry device on its own. Recent rumors suggested the firm will announce at least one high-end Android offering over the course of this year and target it at the four markets in which it’s licensed to sell such products. Chinese TCL Communication holds the rights to produce and retail BlackBerry-branded smartphones in most other parts of the world and is also the company behind last year’s KEYone and Motion models.