Blackberry sounds ready to ditch BB10 platform

PanARMENIAN.Net - Struggling phone maker Blackberry took its first step towards an Android future with the launch of the Priv last year - and it sounds like this was the beginning of the end of its BB10 platform, Digital Spy reports.

Company director Damian Tay hinted that the firm is dedicated to Google's operating system and is planning to phase out its own-brand software.

"The Priv device is essentially our transition to Android ecosystem," he told The Economic Times. "As we secure Android, over a period of time, we would not have two platforms, and may have only Android as a platform."

The executive confirmed that Android will coexist with BB10 in Blackberry's device range for a time, but described the Priv as a "natural progression" towards the Google OS.

"The future is really Android," he added. "We went for Android essentially for its app ecosystem.

"In addition, all the enterprise solutions that we have been doing have been cross-platform for a long time now. So it's a natural progression towards Android."

Blackberry CEO Jon Chen previously confirmed that the company has plans to follow the Priv with another Android handset this year, with the possibility of more to follow.