[slagman5]

Now BB can partner with every Droid Phone maker on the planet and license Blackdroid phones from every phone maker! Brilliant! Whos next Sony?

Hey, if it's one of their waterproof ones, I'm on board, lol. :-D

Posted without the aid of AutoCorrect with my physical keyboard via CB10

[ToniCipriani]

This is nice to know, but I don't think it's really anything new. Did people think BlackBerry was going to be making these in Waterloo or something? What does it matter if it's Alcatel, Foxconn, or who knows who?

It's actually a bit more than that. As of now, BlackBerry has their own hardware design. Priv, Passport and the likes were all in-house designs and they contract Wistron, Foxconn, etc., to build it. Now they are offloading the whole design to others and only providing software.

Think Playbook but instead of QNX it's Android Linux.

[JJStripes]

It's actually a bit more than that. As of now, BlackBerry has their own hardware design. Priv, Passport and the likes were all in-house designs and they contract Wistron, Foxconn, etc., to build it. Now they are offloading the whole design to others and only providing software.

Think Playbook but instead of QNX it's Android Linux.

I think this deal with Alcatel is entirely consistent with what they have done in the past. Mid range phones (Leap) are contracted out, while the high end ones are kept in house. That has been JC's strategy for quite some time.

[tdyhedge]

This is nice to know, but I don't think it's really anything new. Did people think BlackBerry was going to be making these in Waterloo or something? What does it matter if it's Alcatel, Foxconn, or who knows who?

I don't know... Does it really matter if your next car is made by Honda, BMW or Ford? It'll still get you there.

Posted via the CrackBerry App for Android

[Matt J]

There are also rumours that Alcatel holds the Palm trademark.

mynewpalm
Palm could be coming back to life ? as an Android phone from Alcatel | The Verge

[Zeratul57]

Paaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaalllmmmm!!

[mavsguy842]

I wonder how much more efficient it is to piggy-back on an existing hardware combination as opposed to letting FoxConn create one just for BlackBerry. It'd have to be significant to make it worth while, considering BlackBerry still requires hardware-based security.

I think there's definitely interest from the community in having BlackBerry's Android software on whatever hardware they already have, so at least some people are showing they don't care about what BlackBerry brings to the table hardware-wise.

[ToniCipriani]

I don't know... Does it really matter if your next car is made by Honda, BMW or Ford? It'll still get you there.

Posted via the CrackBerry App for Android

Well if it's made by Land Rover Jaguar it might not...

[donnation]

Now BB can partner with every Droid Phone maker on the planet and license Blackdroid phones from every phone maker! Brilliant! Whos next Sony?

That is assuming that there would be an incentive for other Android OEM's to do this. Putting Blackberry's skin on their phone isn't exactly going to set the world on fire. Why would Samsung for instance, or even HTC, make a phone for Blackberry, put Blackberry's logo on it, and allow it to be sold as a Blackberry? The name Blackberry on an Android phone isn't something that so far has generated sales, so I'm not sure why OEM's who have their own skins on their phones would have a need to use Blackberry's skin when sales thus far have been poor with Blackberry's own offering.

[anon(9353145)]

Why would I buy this when I can just put the BlackBerry apps on my whatever Android? THIS is where BB should be going in my opinion. Right now I need a little help from CB's resident hacker "Colbalt" BUT I would gladly pay BlackBerry a few ducats for an official BlackBerry suite )as has been talked about in the past)

Right now I'm using the apps on my Nextbit Robin, but they worked fine on my Nexus 6P also!

Totally agree - when it comes to all touch. Still want a touch capacitive pkb, preferably wider like Passport. They should open it up in the playstore for consumers and make few all touch devices to satisfy whatever enterprise niche wants unrootable, hardened Android.

Ducats eh? Not rubles, dinari or shekels?

Posted via CB10

[slagman5]

Well if it's made by Land Rover Jaguar it might not...

Lmao, yep.

And I don't know about that other guy, but I actually care about the drive itself, not just about getting there.

Posted without the aid of AutoCorrect with my physical keyboard via CB10

[Zeratul57]

That is assuming that there would be an incentive for other Android OEM's to do this. Putting Blackberry's skin on their phone isn't exactly going to set the world on fire. Why would Samsung for instance, or even HTC, make a phone for Blackberry, put Blackberry's logo on it, and allow it to be sold as a Blackberry? The name Blackberry on an Android phone isn't something that so far has generated sales, so I'm not sure why OEM's who have their own skins on their phones would have a need to use Blackberry's skin when sales thus far have been poor with Blackberry's own offering.

Sony Skins in Tablets are better than anyone else. I feel that Blackberry Droid OS is superior now to any other droid OS. If not then how does any other droid skin beat Black droid?

[pineapple2607]

I hope there is a 32 or 64 gb version. Or its not gonna be a blackberry for me.

Posted via CB10

[JOHNGAETANO]

Clearly, now more ever, Blackberry is dead. Just like the Roman Empire. Had the world by the rear, and somehow let it all go.

[Bbnivende]

That is assuming that there would be an incentive for other Android OEM's to do this. Putting Blackberry's skin on their phone isn't exactly going to set the world on fire. Why would Samsung for instance, or even HTC, make a phone for Blackberry, put Blackberry's logo on it, and allow it to be sold as a Blackberry? The name Blackberry on an Android phone isn't something that so far has generated sales, so I'm not sure why OEM's who have their own skins on their phones would have a need to use Blackberry's skin when sales thus far have been poor with Blackberry's own offering.

Google does not make their Nexus phone.

I suspect that the end product will be similar to Z30 styling and quality with 32 internal memory and a Enterprise grade battery. They internals may be Idol 4 but with Dtek and other security measures like BID.

Why buy it? Like the VKB, Hub, launcher and other software enhancements . Like their dedication to security patches and OS development. Like BlackBerry graphics and focus on communication.

[donnation]

Google does not make their Nexus phone.

I suspect that the end product will be similar to Z30 styling and quality with 32 internal memory and a Enterprise grade battery. They internals may be Idol 4 but with Dtek and other security measures like BID.

Why buy it? Like the VKB, Hub, launcher and other software enhancements . Like their dedication to security patches and OS development. Like BlackBerry graphics and focus on communication.

I'm not sure what Google not making Nexus phones has anything to do with Blackberry. It's Googles OS and they have never manufactured them. They've always licensed out the OS. Manufacturers all WANT to make the nexus phone for them, because they sell. Android isn't Blackberry's and they are only skinning it. If Blackberry was licensing out BB10 then that would seem more fitting. But now it's basically putting a Blackberry layer on top of Android and calling it a Blackberry, especially if BB isn't making the hardware.

Hub and VKV are nothing. I have them now on my nexus 6 so that isn't a selling point.

I'm not asking why buy it. I'm asking why a manufacturer would choose to put Blackberry's skin and label on a phone they've made when it hasn't been proven that anyone would buy one? Blackberry isn't in high demand in the Android world so I'm just curious as to why an OEM would want to make a phone for Blackberry when sales of the Priv were horrific and making another one for them doesn't really bode well in terms of sales. Just a question, I don't have all the answers I'm just curious.

[Bbnivende]

I suspect that in some markets the BlackBerry brand has more appeal than Alcatel. Both Alcatel and BlackBerry can benefit from lower costs of production. BlackBerry has Enterprise customers who prefer an all touch over a PKB. They can sell relatively low volumes and not lose money.

As far as the PRIV software - I would prefer BlackBerry's take over what Samsung has etc. Only a small percentage of the buying public and zero percent of the Enterprise market pirate their software.

[Jimberry Storm]

I think the BB image / rendering in this photo looks more like an HTC phone I saw once. No droid expert but sure looks familar to one

[anon(9353145)]

I suspect that in some markets the BlackBerry brand has more appeal than Alcatel. Both Alcatel and BlackBerry can benefit from lower costs of production. BlackBerry has Enterprise customers who prefer an all touch over a PKB. They can sell relatively low volumes and not lose money.

As far as the PRIV software - I would prefer BlackBerry's take over what Samsung has etc. Only a small percentage of the buying public and zero percent of the Enterprise market pirate their software.

Good point, only XDA / Crackberry enthusiasts are aware of Cobalt's BlackBerry Manager. I think the only real hardware play for BlackBerry now is that niche enterprise segment that wants workhorses with hardened security. If they partner with an OEM to get the costs low enough to continue manufacturing at break even or small profit, all the better. I'm holding out hope for a Passport like device down the road if that's the case.

[crazy mazy]

Its probably the only way BB can produce a phone and be profitable. They have someone else produce a phone for them and then they just put their logo on it, and commission the phones as they are sold. No inventory worries, no production worries, and all they need to do is improve the software and keep putting out them updates, while they concentrate on software and not hardware. BTW blackberry said they will be coming out with 2 new phones for under $400. That does not mean the final price will be $400 it could end up being $199 for all we know.

[stlabrat]

If true, I don't want an Alcatel phone. Period. Call me stubborn, but I pretty much prefer a Blackberry-designed phone, with mini-HDMI port and better camera, thank you very much.

no more ALU, NOK now.

[whatsever]

Alcatel is making toy phones in the past, real quality cheap plastic and still it's an european brand and it's like archos. I don't see Alcatel making a BlackBerry phone we all gone buy and that;s included alcatal, archos or what ever cheap build quality brand there is we could buy.


Still a good story Bla1ze but trust me it will be not an Alcatal design or build

[PygmySurfer]

Alcatel is making toy phones in the past, real quality cheap plastic and still it's an european brand and it's like archos. I don't see Alcatel making a BlackBerry phone we all gone buy and that;s included alcatal, archos or what ever cheap build quality brand there is we could buy.

Really, this looks like a toy phone?

Not sure why people are against this, this is a great move by BlackBerry. Every phone on the market is essentially a mix of commodity parts anyway. Alcatel does all the R&D, BlackBerry does some design for the case, then Alcatel builds it for BlackBerry. Because Alcatel does significantly more volume than BlackBerry component costs will be cheaper, meaning BlackBerry will be able to sell the device for significantly less than if they were to design and build it all in house. I'm sure even if Foxconn or Wistrom builds the devices BlackBerry still has to order the components, etc.

Also, convenience key!

[Bbnivende]

Its probably the only way BB can produce a phone and be profitable. They have someone else produce a phone for them and then they just put their logo on it, and commission the phones as they are sold. No inventory worries, no production worries, and all they need to do is improve the software and keep putting out them updates, while they concentrate on software and not hardware. BTW blackberry said they will be coming out with 2 new phones for under $400. That does not mean the final price will be $400 it could end up being $199 for all we know.

Not likely .. Unless you buy a BES package for thousands of phones. $400 for the all touch and $500 for the PKB ...US$.

[anon(9353145)]

Not likely .. Unless you buy a BES package for thousands of phones. $400 for the all touch and $500 for the PKB ...US$.

For the Hamburg and Rome? Where did you hear that?