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While the days of dominance for BlackBerry are well and truly behind them, the Canadian firm is still holding on, and with its newfound focus on Android, might well rise to the top once again. Last year, we saw the firm launch their first Android smartphone in the PRIV, and since then they’ve offered more affordable BlackBerries running Android in 2016. What these devices all have in common is the software that BlackBerry have worked on to make their Android devices stand out from the crowd, as well as represent the business-orientated and secure BlackBerry many think it is. Now, many of these features are opening up to more Android devices, as smartphones running Android 5.0 Lollipop or above can download BlackBerry Hub+ from the Play Store.
This is an app that brings a number of features from the PRIV and DTEK50 lines of BlackBerries to other Android smartphones. This includes the BlackBerry Contacts app, the BlackBerry Launcher, Contacts and Password Keeper. Previously, BlackBerry apps were only available for devices running Android 6.0 Marshmallow or above, lowering the barrier of entry to devices running Android 5.0 or above should make it easier for people to get their hands on BlackBerry’s apps. This Hub+ release also includes the same Device Search from the PRIV and DTEK50 as well as other niceties like the Password Keeper which will keep your passwords together and secure. Supporting Android for Work fully, this might be something worth checking out for business users, and while it’s not the most interesting software launch out there, it does have a lot going for it in terms of features, and it can help you get a taste of what BlackBerry’s vision of Android is like.
For BlackBerry, this is a smart move, as it allows more users to see what the modern BlackBerry is capable of, and there’s no doubt that they will be hoping that a lot of business users try out these features and consider a BlackBerry device next for their next purchase. For users, this is just business as usual on Android, we see software from all kinds of different manufacturers make its way to the Play Store, and many will be keen to try this out on their own devices. For those looking to give it a whirl, they can click on the button below to head on over to the Play Store.
