BlackBerry ‘Vienna’ Could Be Firm’s Second Android Handset
Leaked images suggest BlackBerry Vienna will have a traditional keyboard rather than a slider
Fresh from the launch of the Android-powered BlackBerry Priv, the Canadian smartphone manufacturer could have a second device running Google’s mobile operating system already in the works.
Renders of a device claiming to be called the ‘BlackBerry Vienna’, have appeared on fan site CrackBerry, suggesting a return to the company’s most famous design principle.
The sliding keyboard found in the BlackBerry Priv, appears to have been eliminated in favour of a physical keyboard underneath a touch-sensitive screen.
Oh Vienna
The new device will also come in a range of colour schemes, not unlike Microsoft’s Lumia family, marking a new departure for BlackBerry away from its previous business-focused design approach.
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.
Next in line
BlackBerry is pinning its device hopes on the Priv, which is its first device running Android, and went on sale in the UK last week.
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.
CEO 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.
This would mean only producing one or two devices a year, despite claims earlier in the year that it would release four smartphones in 2015.
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