CES 2016 – BlackBerry Confirms It’s Sticking With Android, Not BB10

BlackBerry will stick with Android for its upcoming smartphones and has no plans to release any new devices running its own BlackBerry 10 (BB10) operating system.

CEO John Chen confirmed the company will release two new Android-powered products in 2016, but would not disclose any release dates or specifications, CNET reported.

‘Cautiously optimistic’

The company’s share of the mobile market has continued to fall in recent months, with an analyst report last week claiming that the number of BlackBerry devices sold is now smaller than those sold powered by Samsung’s Tizen OS, despite the recent release of the company’s first Android phone, the BlackBerry Priv, (pictured left) back in November.

Commenting on the initial reaction and sales figures of the Priv, Chen said that it was, “so far, so good…I’m taking a cautiously optimistic view.”

“The question is, does it last?” he added.

Chen’s comments could suggest we will be seeing the rumoured successor to the Priv, the BlackBerry Vienna, sooner than expected, possibly at Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona next month.

The new device is expected to eschew the slide-out keyboard seen on the Priv and could come in a range of colours – a marked change of direction for BlackBerry’s previous focus on business.

The photos also appear to show that the Vienna will sport both rear and front-facing camera, with the rear camera being equipped with LED flash, with a charging port located on the left side above slots for microSD and SIM cards.

John Chen hinted back in July that BlackBerry could stop manufacturing devices as part of its ongoing recovery strategy, having already stated it would be dramatically downsizing its device portfolio going forward as it looks to focus on other areas of the business.

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