Blackberry is planning to unveil one last android device that would use it’s popular and iconic keyboard.
According to CEO John Chen, Blackberry is prepared to make one last dive into phone production by manufacturing a smartphone with the popular QWERTY keyboard at some point in the future.
Speaking on Bloomberg TV, Blackberry’s CEO John Chen said:
We have one keyboard phone I promised people, Chen said. It’s coming.
Blackberry has stopped the production of its own smartphones as the company announced back in September, that it is prepared to license its name, so that other companies can build and sell phones under its brand. The popular smartphone manufacturer has promised to focus only on security and software.
We don’t know what form the new device will take, maybe the slider like Priv or a more conventional 1:1 square like the Classic, adapted for Android. There isn’t any details about the specs and full design of the new smartphone, but it is already looking like a fantastic news for loyal Blackberry fans.
A date was not picked for the device, but John Chen says people may have to wait long.
During the company’s peak, it’s smartphones were popular and reliable due to two important factors; Security and the iconic QWERTY keyboard that made it very easy to type.
The last device produced by the company was the Priv, which was launched in November 2015. The device was the company’s first smartphone that would use Google mobile operating system, Android. Blackberry Priv eventually struggled with sales all over the world most possibly because BlackBerry loyalists found it hard to embrace the change to Android.
Sometimes ago we also heard rumors that the company was planning to release a Passport type smartphone that would run on Android, but it seems that can’t happen, most especially because the Passport device wouldn’t be compatible with Android OS due to the screen size. We can’t see Google adding that screen option now.
Would you buy a BlackBerry smartphone with a physical keyboard in this day and age? Use the comment box below!