BlackBerry to release another Android smartphone in 2016

PanARMENIAN.Net - BlackBerry took its first steps into Android territory last year with the launch of the keyboard-sliding Priv - and the firm isn't done with the Google OS yet, Digital Spy reports.

Company CEO John Chen has confirmed that a second Android handset is in the works for 2016, with the possibility of more to follow.

A BlackBerry handset codenamed 'Vienna' was leaked last year, but there is no word on whether this is the successor to the Priv.

So, what does BlackBerry's commitment to Android mean for its own BB10 operating system? Well, Chen seems hopeful that the success of the Priv will put BlackBerry back on the map, paving the way for a variety of different devices in the future.

He told CNET that he is "cautiously optimistic" about the way the Priv is selling so far and is confident that his firm can turn a profit this year.

BlackBerry is ploughing its immediate resources into the QWERTY device, launching it on new networks Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile in the U.S. this year.