BlackBerry’s often rumoured but still yet to be confirmed upcoming Android smartphone, codenamed Venice, has experienced yet another leak – this time in the form of a hands-on video.
Back in June rumours began circulating that BlackBerry could be working on an Android-based QWERTY keyboard device, and a variety of images of the smartphone have repeatedly leaked over the course of the last few weeks, including a cameo appearance at the Toronto International Film Festival. But now we have the first video of the device, strangely enough posted by Toronto-based Bell Mobility retailer, Baka Mobile.
The hands-on video demonstrates how features like tap to wake, universal search and most interestingly, how the device’s keyboard is set to work. Users will be able to scroll up and down by swiping the Venice’s keyboard. This new feature seems to allow users to navigate BlackBerry’s Venice without having to use its touchscreen.
According to the video, the left side of the phone is where the Venice’s power and lock button are located, and the right side is reserved for volume buttons and a programable “convenience key.” The top of the phone is where the device’s microSD and sim card are located. On the bottom is its microUSB port, 3.5mm headphone jack and a rather large looking speaker grill.
While hardware specs are still unknown, rumours indicate the BlackBerry Venice will come equipped with a Snapdragon 808 processor, 5.4-inch QHD LCD screen, 3GB of RAM and an 18 megapixel camera. Speculation also indicates the device will feature a curved display that’s very similar to the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge, although likely not as curved. The hardware is also strikingly similar to what BlackBerry showed off back at Mobile World Congress in March, although the device on stage at that event was running BlackBerry 10.
But so far all recent leaks indicate BlackBerry’s Venice utilizes a largely unmodified version of Google’s Android operating system, which is a big step for BlackBerry since the struggling company up until now has insisted on clinging to its BlackBerry 10 operating system.
Update 3:36 p.m.: Baka Mobile has posted new images of BlackBerry’s “Venice” smartphone confirming what version of Android the device runs on (Android 5.1.1) as well as its processor, the Snapdragon 808.
[source]Baka Mobile[/source][via]VentureBeat[/via]
