Blackberry Venice Slider Could Come with Android as Early as November [Rumor]

dgstorm

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blackberryvenice.jpg

There's a new Android rumor burning up the web like a fireworks display on the fourth of July. In fact, it started over the weekend during the festivities. Supposedly, Blackberry is working on an Android device called the Venice, and this smartphone will have a typical touch-screen, but will also include a slide-out keyboard.

Feel free to be stunned. We were, since we were off on Friday and didn't see it until today. There's also talk that we might see this device announced as early as November of this year. Here's the rumored breakdown of specs for this unusual device:
  • 5.4-inch display with 2560-by-1440 resolution
  • 1.8 GHz Snapdragon 808 hexa-core processor and Adreno 418 GPU
  • 3 GB of RAM
  • 18-megapixel rear camera
  • 5-megapixel front camera
  • Slide-out keyboard
There are two camps of rumors right now. On the one hand, there is intel that Blackberry will make two versions of the device. One will have Android, while the other will run BB10. The second rumor suggests the Venice will actually be a dual-boot device and offer both Android and BB10 on the same phone.

What do you guys think? Could this be the thing that saves Blackberry, or is it just further proof they have been defeated and have lost all relevance?

*We have included some additional images of the device with the slide-out keyboard in the thread below.

Source: @evleaks
 
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dgstorm

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Here are the rest of those rumored Blackberry Venice Android smartphone images:

blackberryvenice.jpg

blackberryvenice2.jpg

blackberryvenice3.jpg
 

hammerhead13

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I actually Like the Concept and wish that some of the newer Phones would do this too. Id love a Note with this option and the stylus
 

wicked

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I actually Like the Concept and wish that some of the newer Phones would do this too. Id love a Note with this option and the stylus

Same here.
 

Jonny Kansas

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I can't get behind the physical keyboard. As soon as they added an on-screen keyboard for the G1 back in the day, I stopped using them altogether. Tried it for a bit on the OG Droid as well, but just couldn't get into it. Still a cool looking device, but the physical keyboard might actually make me NOT want the device, though I'm sure there are plenty of people who'd love to have one.
 

pc747

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I am interested and depending on the real world reviews, this could be my next phone.
 
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dgstorm

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Keep in mind that this is still very much just a rumor. Although evleaks has a good track record, he is far from 100% accurate. I am skeptical that this device is real.
 

cereal killer

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Keep in mind that this is still very much just a rumor. Although evleaks has a good track record, he is far from 100% accurate. I am skeptical that this device is real.
Yeah I just don't see the play here. Could be what Nokia did and offered an Android device with some of the Google Services stripped away, but on this render I don't even see BBM.

Android space is just so satuarated and with manufacturers like Huawei, Xiaomi, Umi and ZTE taking some steam out of Samsung there's just no logical reason for Blackberry to enter the Android space. It will doom them if anything. First off BB is PREDOMINATELY a software company, secondly it concedes defeat and lastly they become a slave to an OS that isn't even theirs.

If they are doing this to save themselves, they may as well close the top on their own coffin. It will doom them in the end.

Dual boot would be a much better option, but managing 2 different OS's? I just don't know. Maybe its a one off?

Signed,

*stumped in Austin*
 

pc747

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Keep in mind that this is still very much just a rumor. Although evleaks has a good track record, he is far from 100% accurate. I am skeptical that this device is real.
True, and to piggyback JK, that image in the op looks like a s6 edge photo shopped on a slider kb. So have to see the real world device in hand and in reviews.
 

cereal killer

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True, and to piggyback JK, that image in the op looks like a s6 edge photo shopped on a slider kb. So have to see the real world device in hand and in reviews.
They did partner with Samsung so you neva know ;)
 

pc747

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Yeah I just don't see the play here. Could be what Nokia did and offered an Android device with some of the Google Services stripped away, but on this render I don't even see BBM.

Android space is just so satuarated and with manufacturers like Huawei, Xiaomi, Umi and ZTE taking some steam out of Samsung there's just no logical reason for Blackberry to enter the Android space. It will doom them if anything. First off BB is PREDOMINATELY a software company, secondly it concedes defeat and lastly they become a slave to an OS that isn't even theirs.

If they are doing this to save themselves, they may as well close the top on their own coffin. It will doom them in the end.

Dual boot would be a much better option, but managing 2 different OS's? I just don't know. Maybe its a one off?

Signed,

*stumped in Austin*

You are right it is a saturated market just as can be said for the PC market. But there are some names (ie Alienware) that manages to stand out.

Because RIM is a software company I hold out hope that they can take android and build an awesome software on top of android. Plus we do not know how far they are going to go with building on android. Are they going to go the CM route where they use AOSP with certain GAPPS (Maps, Play Store, and Music) and use their own messaging, mail, and other apps or are they going to do what Motorola does now and lightly build upon android?

Hopefully the former where Blackberry is able to distinguish themselves from the competition.

Unfortunately this could end up as a last desperate act before we nail the coffin shut on RIM. As this may be too little too late now that companies have caught up with RIM on offering software that is enterprise friendly.
 

PereDroid

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Being the email admin at my job and running a BES for a few years before we abandoned BB entirely and went to Apple/Android, I think it is too little, too late. BUT I've been saying that for a few years now and RIM is still around.

I think it would have been a great idea to embrace Android, integrate it with a BES for rock solid security, makes your own Corp Email\Calendar\Messaging apps that can be tightly controlled by the company through a BES and RIM would have had a runaway hit. Betcha there'd be a lot less iPhones in corporate America if BB had done this...oh..... 5-7 years ago.

I still don't think it's a bad idea, but it is probably too late...
 

mountainbikermark

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You are right it is a saturated market just as can be said for the PC market. But there are some names (ie Alienware) that manages to stand out.

Because RIM is a software company I hold out hope that they can take android and build an awesome software on top of android. Plus we do not know how far they are going to go with building on android. Are they going to go the CM route where they use AOSP with certain GAPPS (Maps, Play Store, and Music) and use their own messaging, mail, and other apps or are they going to do what Motorola does now and lightly build upon android?

Hopefully the former where Blackberry is able to distinguish themselves from the competition.

Unfortunately this could end up as a last desperate act before we nail the coffin shut on RIM. As this may be too little too late now that companies have caught up with RIM on offering software that is enterprise friendly.
I see another Fire phone in the making when I read that post. Though Amazon isn't a software company one could never mistake their devices as Android native, or even close.
An Android powered phone with BB exclusive stuff I'd like better than Amazon offerings ,by far, but where they draw the line between RIM and Android will be cool to look for.

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pc747

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Being the email admin at my job and running a BES for a few years before we abandoned BB entirely and went to Apple/Android, I think it is too little, too late. BUT I've been saying that for a few years now and RIM is still around.

I think it would have been a great idea to embrace Android, integrate it with a BES for rock solid security, makes your own Corp Email\Calendar\Messaging apps that can be tightly controlled by the company through a BES and RIM would have had a runaway hit. Betcha there'd be a lot less iPhones in corporate America if BB had done this...oh..... 5-7 years ago.

I still don't think it's a bad idea, but it is probably too late...
Good point, 2-3 yrs ago would have been a prime time to have made the switch. But you are right, most companies have already moved to iphones to replace their company issue blackberries. And companies have chosen the ipad as the go to tablet whether it be restaurants, shops, or flight decks. Windows have even made a comeback getting their surface tablets into some flight decks.

Rim's lack of ability to adapt has cost them billions and possibly will end up causing their extinction.
 
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