BlackBerry is going Android, or at least that's what all the latest rumours are claiming.
It's been reported that the Canadian phone
maker is working on at least two Android smartphones, but the one we're talking
about here is currently going by the codename Venice, a touchscreen slider
phone. It's also been suggested that this might hit retail under the name BlackBerry
Priv.
It's like an Android-equipped reembodiment
of the BlackBerry Torch. There's been rumour and speculation surrounding
this device, but we're cutting a swathe through the gossip to bring you all the
details that matter.
Here's everything we know about the
BlackBerry Venice/Priv.
BlackBerry
Venice/Priv design
BlackBerry surprised everyone at MWC 2015
when BB exec Ron Louks pulled out a mystery device. It had a dual-curved,
all-touch display with a keyboard, a slider phone. At the time it was seen to
be running BB10 and BlackBerry didn't say much about it, just teased that it
was on the roadmap for the future.
The name BlackBerry Venice we first
heard in April, alongside the leaked Oslo and a new Porsche Design
handset. Evan Blass (@evleaks) posted a photo of the BlackBerry handset
running Android in July, at which point a lot of ears pricked up. The same
source (@evleaks) more recently named the device as the BlackBerry Priv.
The device had distinctive traits, namely
the curved edges to the display and a stylised speaker bar. The phone matched
that leaked and the slider first flashed at MWC 2015.
There's currently no word on build or the
dimensions, but given the mechanics involved, it's likely to be pretty big.
That isn't necessarily a barrier to BlackBerry - just look at the BlackBerry
Passport for example - although there's the suggestion of a 5.4-inch display,
which will be the largest to adorn a BlackBerry phone yet, if accurate.
Leaked videos appear to show that the
BlackBerry Venice/Priv will have the same sort of weave to the rear as we saw -
and loved - on the Q10, but highly polished. Given that this whole phone
revolves around a slider mechanism, it's a sure bet that it will have a metal
frame.
BlackBerry
Venice/Priv specs
The current school of thought is that
Priv will feature a 5.4-inch display with curved edges and a resolution of
2560 x 1440. That will put it right up there with the top-tier of Android
devices like the Samsung Galaxy S6 or LG G4.
The Priv is said to be powered by a
1.8GHz 64-bit hexa-core Snapdragon 808 processor and 3GB RAM. Again, that would
put it on a par with Android devices. If BlackBerry is going head-to-dead with
manufacturers like Samsung and LG, those are the standards it's going to
be judged by.
It's also reported that there will be an
18-megapixel rear and 5-megapixel front-facing cameras. These specs differ from
the original leak in April but are scrubbed from more recent leaks coming from Crackberry and
@evleaks. In the tweeted GIF above, you can see the multiple elements to the
camera lens, the 18MP designation, as well as OIS - optical image stabilisation.
BlackBerry
Venice/Priv software
There have been lots of rumours
circulating that BlackBerry was taking a lot of interest in what Android could
offer - above and beyond offering access to Android apps via Amazon Appstore.
CEO John Chen was even happy to say that the company would build an Android
device if it could be made secure. And now new renders indicate Blackberry is
indeed going Android.
In August, Crackberry forum member Mikey
NNG posted an image of the on-screen keyboard from the BlackBerry Venice. He
said the device was running Android Lollipop, which it's thought will be the
platfrom for this new device.
The latest renders posted by Evan Blass are
clearer than anything else seen so far, perhaps press images or marketing
materials.
One feature seen is Google Play, alongside
a range of standard Android services, including Google Maps, Hangouts, and
Google Calendar. This suggests that the BlackBerry Priv will be bringing
you everything that you get on Android, rather than the half-baked support
previously offered in BB 10.
There's subsequently been another leak
from Blass, listing a number of BlackBerry applications that are likely to be
appearing. This suggests that the BB Priv won't just be marching out the
door as a stock Android device, but that it will have a lot of BlackBerry apps
and services integrated.
BlackBerry
Venice/Priv photos
BerryFlow has posted a spy shot of the Venice. 9to5Google said it
was taken at the Toronto Film Festival by someone who sneakily
saw the phone in the wild and caught it running what looks to be the stock
Messenger app.
The image shows buttons
along the right side of the device, matching previous renders and leaks.
Android Authority got sent
some hands-on photos of the BlackBerry Venice - and they show off the
device's display and slide-out keyboard, among other things.
A hands-on video from Canadian phone
retailer Baka Mobile has also given the world a sneak peek at the upcoming
phone, although the video has now been pulled. It showed off key features, such
as the slide-out keyboard and various Android software customisations. We
could see, for instance, BlackBerry Device search, which lets you search
for almost anything in the device.
We could also see how notifications
work, where some of the controls are, and the recent apps screen that resizes
apps based on how often you use them. Apart from software, the video shows off
the Priv's display, chassis, ports, speaker grille, camera bezel, and all the
other hardware parts.
The person conducting the hands-on
stresses multiple times that the Venice pictured is considered an
"evaluation unit", so it's unclear if this is the final device we
will see unveiled and whether that's the final software it's running. Sadly the
video is now gone.
BlackBerry
Priv release date
It's expected that the BlackBerry
Venice/Priv will launch in November (possibly 16 November) and is said to be
coming to all four US carriers.
There is currently no word on a UK release
or even pricing, but we suspect that BlackBerry will be aiming for a parrallel
launch.
No comments:
Post a Comment