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BlackBerry’s Android phone: Hands-on video gives us our first extensive look

Published Sep 18th, 2015 3:51PM EDT
BlackBerry Venice Android Hands On Video

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BlackBerry’s first Android phone is on its way and now a new video posted by Baka Mobile gives us our first extensive look at the new device and shows us some of its key features. Below we’ll go over some key impressions we got from the video.

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  • It looks like new phone’s physical keyboard has the same ability to track touch gestures as last year’s BlackBerry Passport. This means you’ll be able to brush your hand up and down the keyboard and it will scroll your screen up and down.
  • The device’s home screen looks like Android and not a heavily modified version of Android like the one you saw when Nokia first tried to make an Android phone that had a Windows Phone feel to it. This device looks like it runs Android and has Chrome as its default web browser along with access to Gmail and the Google Play Store, among other Android staples.
  • This is still a BlackBerry-influenced device, however: In addition to the physical QWERTY keyboard, BlackBerry has also ported its BlackBerry Hub messaging center to Android.
  • The phone’s slide-out keyboard is very well designed and doesn’t add unnecessary bulk to the device.

The whole video of the new BlackBerry Android phone is very worth your time. Check it out below.

Brad Reed
Brad Reed Staff Writer

Brad Reed has written about technology for over eight years at BGR.com and Network World. Prior to that, he wrote freelance stories for political publications such as AlterNet and the American Prospect. He has a Master's Degree in Business and Economics Journalism from Boston University.