Leaks Reveal New Details About BlackBerry’s Upcoming Android Phone

BlackBerry is reportedly planning on releasing its first Android phone this November. Details on the rumored device have been scarce, but a new leak reveals more information about the Android-based BlackBerry phone.

The device, according to the Engadget, is going to be called the Venice slider. What makes the Venice slider different from other Android phones is its physical keyboard. The inclusion of Android OS onto a BlackBerry product is unheard of. BlackBerry has been shipping their phones with their own operating system for decades.

The upcoming Venice slider will reportedly have a slider physical keyboard as well as a touchscreen. Users will be able to use either the physical or touch keyboards depending on what they feel like using.

This is no stock Android handset… pic.twitter.com/3RgBQHsCng

— Evan Blass (@evleaks) August 21, 2015

Evan Blass, a freelance editorialist, uncovered some information that makes it look as though the Venice slider will not be a standard Android device. Instead of shipping phones with stock (or close to stock) Android OS, BlackBerry will be including BlackBerry software in the phones.

Video courtesy of Evan Blass (@evleaks) appeared to show BlackBerry Productivity Suite running on a Venice slider. As CrackBerry explained, BlackBerry Productivity Suite will bring a handful of BlackBerry services to the Android phones.

“If you’ll recall, the BlackBerry Productivity Suite essentially brings the Hub, BlackBerry Calendar, BlackBerry Contacts, Docs to Go, the BlackBerry Keyboard and finally, Universal Search, which would explain some of the APK files noted to be on the Venice as posted earlier by @evleaks.”

As BGR noted, some other features of the upcoming phone include a pretty serious camera and quite a bit of RAM. The camera will have an 18 megapixel sensor and image stabilization. The phone will feature a hexa-core 1.8 GHz Snapdragon 808 processor, 3GB RAM, and a 5.4-inch display.

BlackBerry has not been doing very well in competing with companies like Apple and Samsung. As previously reported by the Inquisitr, BlackBerry has lost a huge amount of its smartphone market share. BlackBerry is attempting to regain some of its lost market share by reaching out to the Android community.

“From the standpoint of marketing, this is a great way for BlackBerry to get visibility. It really doesn’t hurt them much, and the upside is high…”

A consultant told IBN Live that BlackBerry’s decision to branch out and include Android phones in their lineup is a smart move. The risk is low, and the payoff could be big for the company.

Do you think the Venice slider will be a hit?

[Photo via Evan Blass / Twitter]