BlackBerry 'Hamburg' gets FCC certification, possibly launching July 26

The first of three rumored BlackBerry devices running Android has passed through the FCC, indicating it might not be far off from launch. The model number associated with the BlackBerry ‘Hamburg’ – STH-100-2 – has passed through the FCC for radio certification and is rumored to be launching as soon as next week.

The BlackBerry Rome hasn’t been seen at the FCC yet, but you can expect it not to be too far behind, especially if the pre-IFA launch date rumors pan out. The Hamburg filing also reveals TCL (owners of Alcatel) will produce the device, and it will have a 2,610 mAh battery (the same size as the Alcatel Idol 4‘s battery). Some are therefore speculating it will simply be a rebranded Idol 4, which would be immensely disappointing.

Other BlackBerry Hamburg specs in the filing include NFC, Bluetooth 4.2, microUSB (no Type-C here apparently), LTE bands 2, 7, 38, and 41, 3G and 2G and Wi-Fi ac. According to Bloomberg, BlackBerry CEO John Chen will discuss both devices during a live stream event on July 26.

Chen has previously noted that a mid-range, circa $350 BlackBerry device will be out before September and confirmed this week that he will discuss BlackBerry’s new Android devices “in the next week or two”.

The BlackBerry Hamburg is rumored to feature a 5.2-inch Full HD display, Snapdragon 615 chipset, 3 GB of RAM, 16 GB ROM, microSD expansion, 13 MP/8 MP camera setup and now “confirmed” 2,610 mAh battery. It is expected to launch running Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow.

Whether BlackBerry will find greater success with a rebranded Alcatel handset (or two) is anybody’s guess, but it will be a shame not to see another pure BB offering of the likes of the Priv. As niche and finicky as it is, it was definitely one of the more exciting and original phones to appear in recent times.

Would you buy a BB-branded Idol 4? What does BlackBerry need to do for an Android hit?