Blackberry confirmed that it will offer its first Android-based smartphone late in the year but said it will also continue to offer phones based on its BlackBerry 10 OS.
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“Priv” will combine the security and productivity that BlackBerry customers have become accustomed to combined with the expansive app platform that Google’s Android will bring to the table.
BlackBerry will launch the device in the calendar year in major markets in-store and online.
BlackBerry’s financials are behind, what analysts expected.
That was down 46% from $916 million U.S.in the comparable period a year ago and below analyst estimates of $611 million U.S.
BlackBerry Ltd. confirmed Friday it would launch a new Android operating system to help bolster revenue while reporting second-quarter results that fell short of expectations and software revenue that showed signs of weakness. It has made several efforts to find new customer niches, with low-priced devices, tablets and by shifting its emphasis to software and services. Whatever BlackBerry 10’s merits as a platform, it seems smartphone users are staying away from it in droves and that only a small slice of diehards are still buying new devices. The remaining 43 percent came from monthly fees generated by older generations of BlackBerry phones for services on the company’s proprietary network. The company also announced plans earlier this month to acquire rival Good Technology for 5 million.
“At the same time, we are focused on making faster progress to achieve profitability in our handset business”, Chen said.
BlackBerry has revealed that it will be releasing the next version of its mobile operating system BlackBerry 10.3.3 in March 2016.
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The company expects to have “modest sequential revenue growth” the next two-quarters it said.
