BlackBerry's Second Android Phone Tipped to Launch at MWC 2016

BlackBerry's second Android-based smartphone may launch at MWC 2016 next week in Barcelona, according to a new report. The company in December had hinted at another Android phone launch in 2016.

The new report adds that BlackBerry's purported second Android smartphone, said to be codenamed "Vienna", will be priced lower than the Priv smartphone. No date for the launch has been provided.

To recall, the BlackBerry "Vienna" was spotted in images back in November and showed that the company may ditch the slider design for its second Android phone and may opt for its iconic physical keyboard upfront design, previously seen on various BlackBerry phones. The front of the handset was seen housing the display and the physical keyboard below it. The rear included the camera with flash while the physical buttons for volume was seen on the right panel and power on the left side, as per the leaked images.

To be noted is that the BlackBerry Priv was codenamed "Venice" ahead of launch. To recall, BlackBerry CEO John Chen at CES earlier this year had indicated that the company may launch another Android smartphone in 2016 which will be targeted at the mid-range segment. Chen however was also reported to hint about not one but two phones - both running Google's Android OS.

Of course, as with all rumours and leaks, we advise readers to take the above information about the BlackBerry "Vienna" with a pinch of salt, as the company has yet to make any announcements about its new Android smartphone and the credibility of the sources cannot be independently verified.