BlackBerry recently announced its first Android-based smartphone. (Photo : Reuters)
Canadian smartphone manufacturer BlackBerry recently bought two Android-centric domains which sparked several speculation about the possibility of integrating Android operating system into BlackBerry-made devices.
According to Reuters, the two Android-centric domains were AndroidSecured.com and AndroidSecured.net. The purchase has fueled earlier rumors claiming that BlackBerry is developing a new device that will run on the Android platform.
Early in 2015, several photo of the alleged BlackBerry Venice and BlackBerry Prague has emerged on several tech websites. The two smartphones were rumored to be BlackBerry's first smartphones to run on the Android platform.
According to Digital Trends, the AndroidSecured.com domain is still up but redirects to a webpage on BlackBerry.com which displays a BlackBerry Logo and an Android Logo with a yellow plus sign in between the two logos.
The webpage has a message that reads, "BlackBerry and Google are working closely together to set new standards in enterprise mobile security for organizations deploying Android devices."
While many interesting speculations are pointing towards a BlackBerry device running on the Android platform, BlackBerry has downplayed the recent acquisition of the two Android-centric domains and said that it was part of the company's plan to further support its cross-platform enterprise.
BlackBerry chief executive officer John Chen has steered the company towards software and device management and lowered its priority on the smartphone industry when the BlackBerry 10 operating system failed to gain mass recognition.
Under Chen's reign, BlackBerry has closed a deal to provided added security measure for Samsung's Android devices. BlackBerry has also worked with United States defense contractor Boeing and together developed Boeing Black. An ultra-secure smartphone running on the Android platform aimed for defense and security customers.
