BlackBerry’s Android Phone Confirmed

Company Registers 2 Secured Android Domains

BlackBerry Chief Executive Officer John Chen holds up the BlackBerry Passport (left) and BlackBerry Classic at the company's annual shareholder meeting in Waterloo, Ontario, on June 19, 2014. Two Android-based Blackberry devices are expected to be released soon. Reuters/Mark Blinch

BlackBerry’s rumored Android smartphone has been making waves for some time, but the Canadian tech giant neither confirmed nor denied the reports. Now, however, there’s a confirmation showing BlackBerry is indeed working on a killer Android device.

Not long ago, BlackBerry CEO John Chen told media the company is looking at the possibility of using Android as an OS platform, instead of the BlackBerry OS. However, he said that could happen only when the Android OS was secure enough for the tech giant to keep up with the company standards. The latest report said BlackBerry apparently registered two domains recently related to Google's Android OS.

As it turns out, the domains “AndroidSecured.net” and “AndroidSecured.com,” reportedly were purchased by the Canadian tech giant July 7, GSM Arena reported. These domain names are in line with Chen’s acknowledgment that BlackBerry running an Android OS is a possibility. Also, it is worth noting BlackBerry showcased a mysterious Android-based slider smartphone at the MWC 2015 event.

Phone Arena reported that the rumors surrounding the upcoming BlackBerry Venice and BlackBerry Dallas are skyrocketing because  these devices have reportedly entered India for evaluation and testing. The BlackBerry device tied to model No. STV100 is expected to be the BlackBerry Venice. This is the handset believed to be running on Google’s Android OS. In any case, AT&T reportedly will be the exclusive carrier of Venice in the United States. The testing unit is priced at 63,262 rupees, roughly $997.

Meanwhile, the BlackBerry Dallas reportedly will flaunt the same cutting-edge configurations seen in the square-display clad “BlackBerry Passport.” But then, the handset apparently will come with curved corners at the bottom. Furthermore, the top bezel area is believed to house the speaker grill, along with a secondary shooter for selfies and proximity-ambient light sensors.

The BlackBerry Dallas reportedly has been tied to the model No. “SQW100.”  Zauba said the testing unit is priced at 24,623 rupees, approximately $388.

BlackBerry Venice is expected to be released in November. However, there’s no information available on the release date of the Dallas. As always, readers should note the Canadian tech giant has not confirmed any specifications or features thus far.