5 May update:
Leaked images recently appeared online claiming to show the upcoming BlackBerry Hamburg and Rome handsets, but it's now been made clear that those images were not leaked from BlackBerry itself but instead renders created by someone who claims to know about both devices.
Dylan Habkirk of BlackBerryCentral has claimed he made the "leaked" renders. They are replications of device plans and prototype units that he has seen in person. Habkirk said he has never seen the BlackBerry Hamburg in person but came across internal device sketches for the handset. It mostly copies the Z30 form factor, so he based his render for the Hamburg on the Z30.
As for the Rome, Habkirk has seen this device in person, but since then, it has undergone some major changes. Also, he said the Rome has internal specs that are similar to the Priv. The device's screen may even feature a dual curved edge. It could be priced as high as $500 as well.
And finally, Habkrik explained that his renders were basically jacked: "A concern of mine was when these renders and bits of information was taken by a site (who I don't care to reference) and watermarked as their own - which left in the wrong direction, misleading larger tech sites into publishing as leaked renderings. To make things clear, these renderings are not leaked".
Original post:
BlackBerry wants to go mid-range with two Android devices, and a recent leak supposedly revealed what those new devices might look like, be called, and cost. However, we've just learned that this leak is a fake.
Earlier this month, BlackBerry said it thinks the high-end phone market has gone soft, so it plans to launch two new Android phones this year aimed at the mid-range segment. Even though it just launched the Priv Android phone at the end of 2015, the company is eager to offer more devices, as it feels the $700 Priv is probably too expensive for people.
John Chen, BlackBerry's CEO, has already said the upcoming new devices will include a keyboard-equipped model and a full-touch model, and now, thanks to image leaks spotted by PhoneArena, we're getting our first glimpse of these devices. We also learned what they might be called: Hamburg (full-touch model) and Rome (keyboard-equipped model).
As you can see from the images, Rome looks somewhat similar to the BlackBerry Vienna, sans the grille design and camera placement. Rome is also thought to feature a Priv-like curved-screen OLED panel. As for the Hamburg, all we can decipher from the leaked images is that it could have a big bottom speaker. It's also thought to cost around $400.
That price would would of course be in line with BlackBerry CEO's previous comments about the company going mid-range.
