Tag: blackberry android

The company has confirmed that it will be moving ahead with mobile devices using that operating system.

The release of the first BlackBerry Android smartphones is already underway as the Priv became available earlier this month and as the company watches its sales to see whether or not this device will make a difference in its rate of recovery.

That said, according to BlackBerry, it will not be halting its creation of hardware and it has a plan in mind.

In fact, recently, the company confirmed that the Priv will not be the last of the BlackBerry Android smartphones. Media reports have shown that an advanced security solutions expert from the company’s Advisory Division, Nader Henein, revealed that the use of the Google mobile operating system in the company’s handsets “wouldn’t be a once-off” occurrence. He went on to point out that purchasing an Android usage license “is too expensive and it is a mass market product – it is for consumers, it is for enterprise, and is really for anyone who likes the keyboard and the versatility of the operating system.”

It was also pointed out that Google has been supportive about the creation of BlackBerry Android smartphones.

This came as surprising news to many in the mobile technology industry as it has been a relatively common occurrence for BlackBerry to take shots at Google’s security levels, saying that the tech giant’s efforts to secure its operating system and its security controls have been insufficient.

That said, it is obvious that there is also some advantage for Google in this arrangement, if only that BlackBerry – a company very well known for its high level of mobile security – would add the Android operating system to its devices.

At the same time, what is not yet known is whether or not the use of the Android operating system will actually cut into the strong reputation that BlackBerry has in mobile security. It is a considerable risk, but considering the way the company’s smartphone sales have been going, it is clearly one that the company was willing to take.

Now, the world will be watching not only the progress of the Priv sales, but it’s certain that the rumors will start flying about what will be next in BlackBerry Android smartphones.

This Android based smartphone may very well be the company’s last attempt at this type of device.

The BlackBerry Priv, the latest device from the struggling Canadian company and the first that is based on Google’s Android operating system, has now been on the market for its first weekend and the question has now been raised as to whether or not consumers have responded well and what it will mean for the future of the company.

CEO of the handset maker, John Chen, has suggested that this may be a defining product for the company.

Chen has previously indicated that whether or not the company will continue to make handsets may depend on whether or not the BlackBerry Priv ends up being successful. That said, by the time of the writing of this article, the company had not yet released its numbers with regards to the sales that it experienced during its first launch weekend. This device also represents the first time in years that the company has turned its attention to reaching out to mainstream audiences once again, instead of smaller niche markets.

The most notable difference in the BlackBerry Priv has to do with the Android operating system powering it.

Until now, the company has always used its own BlackBerry operating system. However, it is hopeful that by changing to the Android OS, it will become considerably more appealing to consumers who value a very large number of mobile app options for their devices.

John Chen has stated that it is vital that the hardware division at BlackBerry become profitable before the close of the current fiscal year, which will occur on February 29, 2016. If that does not happen, it is very likely that the company will choose not to continue to make smartphones and will redirect its attention to focus on its security software development.

Chen’s calculations state that in order to meet its goals to continue in hardware, the company would need to sell five million phones throughout the current fiscal year. That would be the break-even point. Considering that the company has already reached the halfway point in that time and it still needs to sell three million devices to reach that goal, it is clear that the future of that part of the company is highly dependent on the success of the BlackBerry Priv.