Will BlackBerry abandon BB10 in favor of Android?

BlackBerry CEO John Chen is hoping for a brighter future in the device manufacturing business. And though it hasn’t been clearly stated, it seems Android is a main factor in this mysterious equation for success. They have been sticking to the outdated (albeit secure) BB10 for years, but the BlackBerry Priv could have simply been the first of many Android devices to come.

Rumors of at least one new Android-running device coming from BlackBerry in 2016 have been spreading. Furthermore, the company is not dismissing the possibility of a mid-range Android phone coming in the future. This is enough commitment as it comes, but it seems that’s not where they are stopping. The latest statements from BlackBerry senior director Damian Tay suggest we will see more Android BlackBerry phones. Much, much more.

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• BlackBerry giving you $100 worth of accessories if you buy a Priv before February 24

In fact, it seems the company may be considering straight out dumping their BB10 platform in favor of Android! Now, that’s a move I would call radical… and as Android fans we certainly wouldn’t dislike it.

“The PRIV device is essentially our transition to Android ecosystem. As we secure Android, over a period of time, we would not have two platforms, and may have only Android as a platform [for smartphones]. But for now, we have BB10 and Android platforms for our smartphones.

The future is really Android. We went for Android essentially for its app ecosystem. In addition, all the enterprise solutions that we have been doing have been cross-platform for a long time now. So it’s a natural progression towards Android.”

-Damian Tay, senior director, APAC product management at BlackBerry

Tay also mentions that the main reason why they keep selling BB10 handsets is government use, but the hope is to transition to Android as the company becomes more of a services provider, instead of a platform pioneer.

BB10 continues to be the more secure option, but the plan is to bring their Android handsets up to speed. Only then will BlackBerry be able to pull such a move.

Will they reach that point? Only time will tell, but until that day comes we can at least continue to enjoy more Android devices coming from BlackBerry. We know how much you love their keyboards and build quality, and definitely understand why.