BlackBerry may release an Android phone

[Snn5]

BlackBerry may release an Android phone | The Verge

Blackberry may continue its hybrid affair with Android.  With security integration with Samsung Knox to an Android-based OS with a BB keyboard in addition to the already Android-app-emulation on BB OS.

[MiiHere]

That just seems...wrong.

[Loquat]

My thoughts exactly...

[Snn5]

Hybrid-survival.

[MiiHere]

It reminds me of a Cosmos on steroids. The whole slide function is so old school at this point.

[Snn5]

AT&T Torch.  I wanted that phone.  i thought of it as a larger screened version of my Curve.  But, I was on a Droid 2 with Verizon at the time.

[MiiHere]

At one point I had a Blackberry...the curve. That was right around the time Verizon started requiring a data package, but I fortunately bought it before hand so I could use it for it's keyboard, but not all the fancy functions.

[Loquat]

My first and last Blackberry was the Tour...my job provided it to me.  It just didn't do anything well.  Email was slow...and I never got use to the mini trackball.  The OS was clunky...it was just not a good experience.  I know there were (and probably still are) many people who loved BB...after using my Tour for several months I just never got what all the hype was about...

[MiiHere]

I must have had 2 Blackberries because I do remember when the trackball died, but on the curve it had a...trackpad? Not sure what the official name was, but because of the type of phone cases I liked, it was covered up anyway.

[pherson]

I had the pearl, storm 1 and storm 2. Loved all of them, but the Internet experience on android is what made me switch. I briefly had an iPhone 4s then switched back to android.

[Snn5]

When Alltel was split in my state and AT&T took my half, we were offered a Bold, Aria, or iPhone 3. Coming from the Curve 8330 I believe, I Chose the HTC Aria running Froyo as Android had become some new sensation.  After 2 weeks of madness (ATT GSM converting the Alltel CDMA) involving missed, dropped calls and 3-day-delayed SMS, I went to Verizon for my Droid 2.

[tikibar1]

Blackberry officially confirms the Priv Android phone, and what its name means to users

BlackBerry Reports Fiscal 2016 Second Quarter Results

"Today, BlackBerry is announcing two new additions to its handheld device roadmap.

First, the company will launch a flagship slider device, Priv, which will run on the Android operating system, bringing together the best of BlackBerry security and productivity with the expansive mobile application ecosystem available on the Android platform. In combination with BlackBerry's efforts to support Android for Work on the BES12 platform, the new device will offer best in class security for enterprise customers. BlackBerry expects the device to be available late in the calendar year in major markets in-store and online, and will release further details in the coming weeks. While the new device will provide a choice in OS to new and existing customers, the company remains committed to the BlackBerry 10 operating system, which enables industry-leading security and productivity benefits."

[Snn5]

Yes, I had looked at the Venice (Priv), just for giggles.  While novel, I doubt it gets into my smartphone stable.  But, it's good to see some OS flexibility and hybrid integration happening with BB.

[Loquat]

Seems like a last ditch effort.  I hope they gain some traction.  As a former BB user, I'd hate to see the platform go away...but at the same time I realize that they kinda made their own bed.  I've learned to deal with typing on glass but I still think a physical keyboard, in my opinion, was a heck of a lot better.  Balsillie and Lazaridis had the keys to the kingdom and blew it...

[Snn5]

That BB Curve was great.  I could ride 6 lanes wide, using my left hand, right hand on the throttle, and compose, send, respond, etc to a message without even looking at the phone.  (Changing gears was another story though.)  I could have done this, though I didn't.  I'm just saying that the BB keyboard was a superior piece of hardware...at the time.

[Loquat]

I agree wholeheartedly.  I loved the keyboard on my Bold and my Tour.  I could crank out emails and text seamlessly with great accuracy.  I'm not a fan of Apple's digital keyboard...it just seems too small even with the zoom feature enabled.  I'm currently using a 3rd party keyboard app on my iPhone and they're not much better... 

[Snn5]

It took me a hot minute to go from a MotoRokr Z6m 3-tap text to a Curve, and then again when I went to an HTC Aria on-screen then to the slide out Droid 2, back to on-screen with a GNEX.  Bump all that noise...I just talk to the message screen now.

[Iprojectit]

Talk to me Verizon. The Priv is available for pre-order (Delivery Nov 6th) but that version isn't compatible for Verizon.  When is the Priv going to be available for us?

[Snn5]

$700 is a big bag of nope.  Not compatible on Verizon or Sprint or any other CDMA carrier.  Don't count on it being compatible any time soon if ever.