14 DAY TRIAL // BlackBerry is pretty much in the same boat as Microsoft, as the company still struggles to improve in the mobile business and compete against Android and iOS.
But while Microsoft is very keen on keeping Windows Phone alive, BlackBerry keeps trying to find its identity, and after developing a very stable, secure and reliable BB OS 10, the company is now heading towards Android at full speed.
BlackBerry Priv was the first device that launched with Android, and the Canadian phone manufacturer plans to release even more handsets running this OS version, so some people were wondering whether the company could also look at other platforms in its search for success.
All in on Android
This doesn’t seem the case, as BlackBerry India’s Managing Director Narendra Nayak has explained that there are no plans for anything else than BB OS 10 and Android devices for now. He has ruled out the possibility of launching a Windows Phone-powered phone in the future, explaining that they are committed to both BlackBerry and Android.
“As a company we moved to a multi-platform strategy. If you look at our enterprise software, they run across Windows, iOS, BlackBerry and Android. On device side as well that's broadly the goal - we'll obviously not have iOS on the device side but as of now it’ll be BlackBerry OS and Android to give a choice to our customers,” he has said in a recent interview.
“At this point we do not have any plans for a Windows Phone.”
Certainly, a manufacturer like BlackBerry joining the Windows Phone effort would really be helpful for the future of the platform, but it’s no surprise that the company is more interested in Android, given the lack of apps that also impacts Microsoft’s operating system.
The next BlackBerry devices powered by Android are expected later this year and are very likely to be part of the company’s low-end and mid-range lineups.