BlackBerry is choosing Google’s Android OS over its own BB 10 for its upcoming phones. The Canadian smartphone maker said it plans to release at least one Android phone this year.
BlackBerry CEO John Chen confirmed its plans about one Android phone and a possibility of a second one, during an interview with CNET at CES 2016. Last year, the company launched its first Android powered BlackBerry Priv smartphone. Chen did not offer any more details about the Android phone and even kept mum about a possible timeline of its launch. There is a possibility that the company could announce the rumored Android powered “Vienna” phone that features a physical keyboard this year. BlackBerry is not completely ditching the BB 10 OS and it could also launch a device or two later this year.
The company announced at the event that BlackBerry Priv will now be available via T-Mobile, Sprint, and Verizon in the US. BlackBerry has been struggling to make profits for some time now, but Chen told the publication that he is “confident in profitability this year.”