BlackBerry may launch a future phone with Android installed rather than its own OS.
The Canadian manufacturer has experienced a marked decline in fortunes over the past seven years or so, and is allegedly considering adopting Google’s world-straddling OS as a solution.
That’s according to a new Reuters report, at least, which claims that BlackBerry has conceded its attempts at a revamp with the BlackBerry 10 OS have been a failure.
The new BlackBerry Android phone will apparently be a slider device that combines a touchscreen with a physical keyboard, and is likely to be released this autumn.
Interestingly, the report says that we’ve already seen this device. It’s the one that BlackBerry briefly showed off at MWC in March, featuring a Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge-like curved display.
It’s claimed that the decision to adopt Android is part of a wider BlackBerry strategy to focus on software and device management rather than the entire OS.
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This adoption of Android would also play into BlackBerry’s new device management system, BES12, which allows businesses and governments to manage a variety of platforms on their internal networks, not just BlackBerry.
In launching an Android device, BlackBerry would be sending a signal that this management software works with rival platforms, and is capable of securing even the famously open Android OS.
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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.