We heard yesterday that Sony’s CEO Kazuo Hirai is considering 2016 to be a make-or-break year for Sony’s smartphone business, and it appears that the same thought has crossed BlackBerry CEO John Chen’s mind as well. According to Chen, BlackBerry could exit hardware market if BlackBerry sales don’t pick up next year, allowing them to double down on their software services. This really gives the impression that the recently announced Android-powered BlackBerry Priv is really a last ditch effort to stay relevant in the hardware market, so we’ll have to see whether the device makes waves whenever it is released.
Of course, Chen knows exactly how the Priv can succeed: “Android in the enterprise is a very underserved space. With our connections, our accounts, our security knowhow, this has expanded our market.” Chen believes that the Priv will be one of the most secure Android devices with only the Blackphone beating it out for outright security – however, BlackBerry has no illusions that it will be able to prevent everything, like Stagefright, but still thinks it will have one of the most secure options out there. We’ll have to see whether BlackBerry will walk the walk too.
What do you think about the BlackBerry Priv? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: engadget
