BlackBerry confirms its first Android device will ship this year

 BlackBerry's first Android device, long nicknamed 'Venice' is slated for release this year. The device runs Android OS Jellybean but with BlackBerry's security suite built-in. It is a slider with a QWERTY keyboard and what looks to be a curved display a la Samsung's Galaxy Edge. 

The device, which is being called "Priv" is said to, "combines the best of BlackBerry security and productivity with the expansive mobile application ecosystem available on the Android platform." It'll arrive by the end of 2015 "in major markets in-store and online," said BlackBerry CEO John Chen.

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BlackBerry's 'Venice' Android slider appears in more leaked photos

BlackBerry's upcoming 'Venice' Android device, which reanimates the slider form factor that died with the Torch 9860 back in 2011, has once more appeared in a series of photo leaks. We can see the size of the display as well as the particular slide-out keyboard for this device which is rumoured to be an AT&T exclusive. 

Looking at the screen, it is weird to see a BlackBerry device devoid of any BlackBerry apps, WhatsApp is even prominently displayed instead of BBM (the horror!). The 'Venice' seems to be an intriguing device, it's one of the few (or only) Android sliders we've seen and it seems to take a lot of the design mojo from the BlacKBerry Passport and Classic. Check out the rest of the photos at Phandroid.com.

Source: Phandroid.com