The U.S. Senate added to the many woes that BlackBerry is going through with respect to the smartphone industry.
While the Canadian company has confirmed to major U.S. carriers that it will not be coming in with new BlackBerry 10 devices, the Senate announced that those staffers who wish to get a new phone can turn to Samsung Galaxy S6 or iPhone SE. The company has been seeing a decline in its sales, something that even led to last year’s decision of coming in with an Android-powered BlackBerry Priv.
On the back of releasing this phone, rumors started showing up, claiming that BlackBerry will be coming in with more Android-powered devices. Well, apparently, this will be the case as the latest reports show that the Canadian tech giant is working on three new Android smartphones that are codenamed Mercury, Argon, and Neon.
Here’s what we know so far.
BlackBerry Neon
Apparently, the report claims that BlackBerry Neon will be the first to show up. Unlike the Priv, the Neon will target the low-end market. This 5.2-inch handset will ditch the trademark BB keyboard and it will feature a 1080p resolution. Design-wise, BlackBerry will reportedly go for an aluminum frame with a back that is soft-coated with plastic.
Like many other low-to-mid-end devices, the Neon will be powered by Snapdragon 617 SoC, which will be paired with a RAM of 3GB and onboard storage of 16GB. As for the snappers, you get a 13MP lens on the back and an 8MP on the front. The phone will come with a battery unit of 2610mAh, which will be charged using Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 2.0 technology.
If the source is to be believed, BlackBerry will announce the Neon sometime this July or August.
BlackBerry Argon
If the BlackBerry Neon’s screen size is a bit small for you, perhaps you should wait for the release of the 5.5-inch Argon later in October. Just like its counterpart, the BlackBerry Argon will ditch the physical keyboard in favor of a full touchscreen experience. Apparently, this device will come with QHD resolution, similar to the likes of Galaxy S7, S7 Edge, and even the Priv.
Under the hood, the BlackBerry Argon will pack a Snapdragon 820 SoC that is paired with a RAM of 4GB and 32GB of internal storage. To keep the huge display alive, BB will go for a 3000mAh battery capacity, which will be fast charged via the latest Quick Charge 3.0 technology from Qualcomm. The flagship will also come with USB Type-C and a fingerprint sensor.
In terms of photography, this premium phone will come with a huge 21MP sensor on the rear, bigger than the 18MP used on the Priv. The front has a decent 8MP selfie camera.
BlackBerry Mercury
The BlackBerry Mercury will not be here until 2017, the same report can confirm. Unlike the other two, this phone will come with the traditional BB QWERTY keyboard, similar to the Priv. However, the keyboard on Mercury cannot be concealed like with the case of the Priv. The phone is also smaller in size with a 4.5-inch Full HD screen and it’s made of aluminum.
Despite its size, the device will come with slightly better specs than the BlackBerry Neon. These include a Snapdragon 625 SoC that is paired with a RAM of 3GB and onboard storage of 32GB. Surprisingly, the phone also gets a much better battery unit of 3400mAh as compared to the other two. As for the camera specs, it gets even better. You’ll find an 18MP rear sensor paired with an 8MP selfie camera.
Many saw the Priv’s pricing as the main reason why the phone did not help much in restoring BlackBerry’s lost glory. As a result, the company seems to have decided to come in with different variants to accommodate different classes.