This isn't really a confirmation, but neither a denial

Jun 24, 2015 09:47 GMT  ·  By

Rumors about BlackBerry possibly building an Android smartphone that will be released later this year made headlines in the last couple of weeks.

Although sources close to the matter initially claimed the Canadian company is readying a high-end slider smartphone that would run Android operating system, the most recent hearsay mentions another low-end device powered by Google's mobile platform.

Word is that BlackBerry is likely to focus on emerging markets with its Android phone, which is why it won't be packed with ultra specs.

BlackBerry's affordable smartphones are selling very well in Asian countries like Indonesia, India and Philippines, which is why an Android phone launched in this region would be a killer no doubt.

But the Canadian company did not confirm that it was working to build an Android smartphone with BlackBerry services and apps, even though sources claimed the company might have teamed up with Samsung in this endeavor.

What's a BlackBerry smartphone powered by Android? A possibility

During an interview for CNBC, BlackBerry's CEO John Chen was asked whether his company is really building an Android smartphone that would be launched later this year.

Chen answered saying that his company “only build(s) secure phones and BlackBerry is the most secure phone so, if I can find a way to secure the Android phone, I will also build that.”

This is hardly a confirmation that BlackBerry is going to launch an Android smartphone this year, but at least the company does not rule out the possibility of building such a device if it can make it secure.

BlackBerry announced its Q1 FY16 financial results, which confirmed the company sold only 1.1M smartphones during that time.

That's not as many as John Chen would want, which is probably one of the reasons these rumors about BlackBerry building an Android smartphone have emerged in the first place.

We will see what happens in the coming months since word is BlackBerry should announce the rumored Android smartphone sometime in September.