BlackBerry Android news: BlackBerry Venice slider appears in first high-quality images

Android fans who still desire a physical keyboard might have something to celebrate about later this year. It’s reported that BlackBerry might be working on an Android phone, and it looks like it’s more than just a rumor. Two devices have leaked so far, and reports disagree on which one will run Android. It’s also possible that neither will. Here’s everything we know so far.

Updated on 08-30-2015 by Robert Nazarian: Added in hands on images of the BlackBerry Venice slider.

BlackBerry OS update delivers a personal assistant to your phone

Canadian smartphone maker BlackBerry is starting to roll out the BlackBerry 10 OS 10.3.1 to existing BlackBerry devices. The software is now arriving on the BlackBerry Passport, Z3, Z10, Q10, and Q5 as well as the Porsche Design P'9983 and "9982. With the update, BlackBerry users will get a number of new features including BlackBerry Assistant, BlackBerry Blend and dual app stores.

If you've been jealous of Siri, Cortana or the Google Now digital voice assistants on your friends' phones, BlackBerry is making up for it with BlackBerry Assistant on OS 10.3.1. BlackBerry Assistant can be used with voice or text commands to help users manage emails, contacts, calendars and native BlackBerry 10 applications.

BlackBerry says Assistant is intelligent enough to know how to respond to you. BlackBerry Assistant will respond with voice if spoken to, and it will display the results to your queries if you're typing text. Additionally, if you're accessing BlackBerry Assistant from Bluetooth, it will respond with additional context because you may not have access to your phone's screen.