While giving a speech at the Churchill Club in Palo Alto, California, BlackBerry’s CEO John Chen admitted that BlackBerry smartphones needs more apps to compete with other devices. BlackBerry makes solid devices but they do not have a strong ecosystem like iOS or Android where there are millions of apps to choose.
While recent leaks have shown upcoming BlackBerry devices with the standard Google Android applications, Chen hinted that there might be more to it than just plopping stock Android on BlackBerry hardware. Although, BlackBerry 10 handsets can run Android apps, the experience is less than ideal, since these apps are not designed or optimized for BlackBerry devices.
Even though Chen has not confirmed the existence of a BlackBerry Android Smartphone, it is not out of possibility. By creating an Android phone, BlackBerry will essentially continue making hardware its customer’s love, while at the same time appealing to potential customers who had previously held back due to the lack of a strong ecosystem.
BlackBerry has also been expanding beyond making its own phones, using its servers to manage other types of handsets, including a deal to work closely with Samsung to help secure that company’s phones for businesses. Chen also wants to increase the company’s revenue from patent licensing, but says he wants to do so without becoming a patent troll, something he as an engineer finds distasteful.
