Is BlackBerry Getting Out of the Hardware Business?

CEO John Chen said the company might walk away from the hardware business soon if they're not profitable by next year.

Image via Ian Lamont

While ironically promoting the new BlackBerry Priv during a panel interview at Code/Mobile, BlackBerry CEO John Chen said the company might be exiting the hardware business entirely if they aren't profitable by 2016. Chen reportedly revealed he would "never says never" to shutting down the device side of the empire to focus on providing security services to other platforms, especially given the recent success of BlackBerry's Enterprise Servers.

Citing the Priv as one of the "most secure Android phones on the market," Chen expressed vague positivity regarding the immediate future of the company's device production. "Android in the enterprise is a very underserved space," he said. "With our connections, our accounts, our security know-how, this has expanded our market." The Priv also boasts the distinction of being BlackBerry's first device that uses a non-BlackBerry operating system, according to Engadget.

Though sources were not able to confirm or deny this, some might say the photo below is an exclusive look at BlackBerry's new retro device that doesn't actually make calls or otherwise function as anything other than a single item of fruit but proves you're still too good for a regular iPhone like all the common people:

 

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