You may have thought that BlackBerry OS, once one of the world’s most popular mobile operating systems, is dying out – but it could have one last appearance left in it. At least, that’s what a newly-announced partnership between BlackBerry and Chinese web giant Baidu would lead you to believe.
On Thursday, January 4, BlackBerry and Baidu revealed details of a deal that will see them work together to develop autonomous driving technologies for automotive manufacturers and suppliers worldwide, with the former’s ebbing operating system set to act as the foundation for something called the Apollo Autonomous Driving Open Platform.
Related: BlackBerry 10 review
The news comes a little more than a year after BlackBerry stopped directly manufacturing smartphones, following a decline in market share as the popularity of Android and iOS smartphones grew. These days, it is largely focussing its attentions on its lucrative cybersecurity business, while TCL manufactures handsets under license using the BlackBerry name.
It seems that Baidu is the one financing the Apollo operation. Back in September 2017, it announced a colossal $1.5 billion investment in autonomous driving projects over the next three years, in a bid to diversify its portfolio and compete with rival Alphabet – the parent company of Google and a number of Big G’s subsidiaries.
Just how it all takes shape remains to be seen, but we’re hoping to learn more at CES 2018.
Do you think BlackBerry made the right call transitioning to the cybersecurity industry? Or do you think it should have continued to manufacture smartphones in-house? Be sure to let us know over on Facebook or Twitter @TrustedReviews.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
