BlackBerry planning second new Android handset in 2016...

...unless the company fails to sell enough Privs, in which case it may be the end for BlackBerry smartphones

BlackBerry is planning to release a second Android-based smartphone in 2016 following on from the well-received Priv smartphone it launched at the beginning of November.

In an interview with the Bloomberg newswire, CEO John Chen hinted that the company is planning to follow-up the Priv with the new device, provided the Priv gains some market traction. This new device, he hinted would be pitched at a lower price compared to the premium-priced Priv

However, the interview also carried the hint that if the Priv did not sell well enough, BlackBerry would probably be getting out of devices altogether to focus on mobile and security software. "[It] depends on the Priv," Chen told Bloomberg. "If the Priv is well received in the market, and it looks like it is, there's a good chance... We will still focus on the high-end, probably closer to mid-range, coming out in 2016."

Launched in November, it was initially only available in four markets - including the US, UK, and Canada - but the roll-out has proceeded apace since then and Priv will shortly be released in a further 31 markets.

Other leaks have indicated that BlackBerry is testing Samsung's Exynos ARM-based microprocessors for a new smartphone, shifting from Qualcomm chips, with a device codenamed STV100-1 recently listed on GFXBench benchmark listings. This sported a Samsung Exynos 7420 processor clocked at 2.1GHz, according to Gadgets360.

Images of a large smartphone codenamed Vienna were also leaked to the Crackberry fan site shortly after the launch of the Priv in November. This large device would be offered in the traditional BlackBerry keyboarded style, and would be available in a number of colours, if the leaks are anything to go by.

The Priv - originally codenamed Venice - was released on 6 November and, although it has been well reviewed, its relative lack of distribution among mobile operators has hampered sales. In the UK, for example, it is only available directly from BlackBerry or via the Carphone Warehouse mobile phone retail chain.

The Priv boasts a number of features that BlackBerry claim make it more secure than standard Android devices.