When Blackberry released their first ever Android smartphone, a lot of people were skeptical and some said they were too late to the party. But a bunch of positive reviews have helped the market sort of embrace the PRIV, giving credibility to a brand that somehow got left behind when the smartphones started evolving quickly. While one good release cannot say that they are now an Android success, reports are trickling in that they will eventually do away with the BB10 operating system that is powering their other current devices.
But don’t expect that this will happen within the year or anytime soon. Currently, their phones like the Classic and Passport still run on BB10, and the OEM says that this is still the more secure platform. While acknowledging that Android is really the future and it was natural for them to progress to it eventually, for now they will stick with having two platforms for their devices. And that may probably be due to the fact that several governments and departments still use the BB10 for security purposes, and so they cannot give those up just yet.
Damian Tay, the senior director, APAC product management for BlackBerry said that they do plan to convert these agencies to using their Android devices eventually, but currently, the BB10 devices are still more secure. They are however already working on all the certifications and clearances from these governments. He shared these thoughts during the official launch of the PRIV in India, which was in itself a surprise since the device is a high-end product released in a region more known for mid-range or low-range devices.
They are planning to add more Android-powered devices soon, including two that will be priced lower than the PRIV. But they will be closely monitoring how the PRIV will do in the India market as this will set their roadmap for the next two products.
VIA: Economic Times
