Hands-On Video Shows Blackberry Venice Running Android

Much to the rejoice of all the people wanting a physical keyboard along with experiencing all the goodness of Android in a seamless fashion, it appears that all the leaks regarding the Android-powered Blackberry slider device have been shaping up to be true.

Codenamed Blackberry Venice, the device has made a pitstop at Canada-based Bell Mobility dealer, Baka Mobile. Specs for the device are still unconfirmed and rest solely on rumors. What can be seen, however, is the design of the device. Without further ado, have a look at the hands-on video:

The Blackberry Venice features a slide-out keyboard, akin to the erstwhile Blackberry Torch devices. The design language of the phone resembles a Nokia Lumia more than a Blackberry as the front profile looks devoid of curves, opting for a rectangular slab look instead.

The hands-on video also showcases a touch sensor on the keyboard itself, which will come in handy while working on long documents as one need not rely on finger acrobatics to scroll while having the keyboard out. Also mentioned in the video was a micro-sd card slot and a front facing speaker grill.

Design wise, the Blackberry Venice is a refreshing take on the rectangular slab of touchscreen that has become synonymous with most Android manufacturers. The device also marks Blackberry’s first steps into making a device solely based on Android. Based on the video, it also appears that the device is running a minimal skin atop AOSP, with possibilities of Blackberry-based security features added in.

While we doubt that the Blackberry Venice will feature Nexus-like ease of root and rom based on Blackberry’s focus on security and enterprise solutions, it certainly comes close to being the perfect Work phone. We still need to wait on the official launch of the device to get the confirmed spec sheet and pricing info.

What do you think about Blackberry Venice? Would you buy a keyboard-slider phone based on Android? Will this phone bring Blackberry back to its glory days? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

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