BlackBerry confirms it will launch a new Android Smartphone called ‘Priv’

BlackBerry has finally confirmed its intentions to launch an Android smartphone, after months of speculation and leaks.

In its second quarter financial results, BlackBerry said it "plans to launch a flagship handheld device that will run on the Android operating system with BlackBerry security."

Originally rumored to be called the BlackBerry Venice, sporting a BlackBerry-esque sliding keyboard (H/T evleaks), the Canadian company stated in its Q2 report that it is "focused on making faster progress to achieve profitability in our handset business," before confirming the launch of "Priv," a name that was first rumored earlier this week.

The name "Priv," of course, is a nod-and-a-wink to BlackBerry's reputation as a privacy-focused company. "I am confirming our plans to launch Priv, an Android device named after BlackBerry's heritage and core mission of protecting our customers' privacy," said BlackBerry CEO John Chen. "Priv combines the best of BlackBerry security and productivity with the expansive mobile application ecosystem available on the Android platform."As the initial leaks suggested, the new BlackBerry Android phone will be a so-called "slider," meaning it will be touchscreen with a slide-out keyboard.

Source: BlackBerry confirms it will launch a new Android Smartphone called 'Priv'