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Some new information about Blackberry’s forthcoming Venice phone has arrived. If you didn’t know, this would be Blackberry’s first phone that runs Android. Evan Blass, who has semi-retired as the man behind @evleaks, has released renders of the handset, and you can see it’s clearly running Android.
Today we get a release window to look forward to, as well as a clearer idea of how widespread this device will be once it lands. We’re told to lookout for a release in November, and that all major US carriers will be offering it on store shelves.
Other new information we gather today includes the revelation that this thing might run Google Play, which also means a full complement of Google Play Services apps and features. Companies who traditionally favored other operating systems tend to make forked versions of Android which uses third-party app stores and services, so we’re glad to see Blackberry is breaking the mold.
We also get confirmation that the phone will be loaded with Blackberry’s security and enterprise suite, a move which was pretty obvious after they teamed up with Google to promote better Android security. Finally, we know that the device will have Lollipop at launch, and that there will be an easy content transfer app to move all your stuff from a Blackberry device to the Venice.
The Blackberry Venice should be a very interesting device for those who miss their physical keyboards, and we can’t wait to see it in the flesh once the Canadian company is finally ready to unveil it.
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