Depending on Priv’s success, BlackBerry might release a mid-range smartphone next year

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Published 22 Dec 2015

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Speaking to Bloomberg Markets, BlackBerry’s CEO John Chen has revealed that the company might consider making a mid-range Android smartphone if the Priv turns out to be a success.

Chen is not looking at the sales volume for success, but in terms of margin.

The CEO, however, is optimistic about the Priv being a success looking at its initial response and is taking things one quarter at a time. The phone’s response over the next few months will now determine whether BlackBerry will release a mid to high-end smartphone in 2016. During this period, the Priv will be rolled out to 31 different countries and markets.

After releasing some unremarkable phone for the last year few years, BlackBerry released its first Android running smartphone in the second half of this year — the Priv. The handset features a dedicated keyboard and comes with a 5.4-inch Quad HD AMOLED screen. While the overall reviews of the handset were not exactly positive, it has been received well in certain regions of the result.

Chen was also questioned about BlackBerry’s partnership with Samsung, which supplies the former with the AMOLED screen used on the Priv. The CEO said that while both companies continue to work together, they have not entered into a long-term agreement for any kind of product development. They will, however, continue to work together in the security department on KNOX and other security tools for their devices.

Will you be interested in a mid-range BlackBerry handset?