BlackBerry launches the DTEK50 - its latest 'secure' Android smartphone

"World's most secure" Android device the first of three new Android smartphones from BlackBerry

BlackBerry is doubling down on devices with the first of three new smartphones - which will all be powered by Android rather than the company's own BlackBerry 10 operating system.

Previously leaked as the BlackBerry Neon, the DTEK50 is a £275, mid-range smartphone with near-identical specs to the Alcatel Idol 4, but which claims to be the most secure Android smartphone on the market. It also features BlackBerry's Messaging Hub ported from BlackBerry 10.

At the forefront of the BlackBerry DTEK50 is a 5.2in 1920x1080 Full HD display, and the handset has an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 617 processor, 3GB of RAM and 16GB of storage expandable via microSD up to 2TB.

There's a customisable BlackBerry Convenience Key on the side of the device, which provides quick access to most used applications or tasks.

BlackBerry may recently have called out Android for not being as secure as its own BB10 operating system, but the company has equipped the handset with Google's Marshmallow operating system, providing support for Android for Work as it continues to target the enterprise market.

BlackBerry has naturally added some of its own features on top of Google's software. In addition to the BlackBerry Hub for managing email, messages and social media notifications, the device will also include BlackBerry's DTEK mobile security management software.

In fact, BlackBerry has gone so far as to claim that the DTEK50 is the "world's most secure" Android smartphone thanks to the added software tweaks (notwithstanding CEO John Chen's more ambivalent attitudes towards law enforcement demands and encryption).

"When it comes to security, Android smartphones from BlackBerry are ahead of all other Android smartphones," the company claimed.

It continued:"Security isn't something that's tacked on, it's fully integrated into the BlackBerry device hardware and OS. BlackBerry sets the bar in incident response and patch management, and brings world-renowned security experts and testing to DTEK50.

"When it comes to protecting business-critical data and personal privacy, BlackBerry will keep you safe and secure."

BlackBerry Messenger is also pre-loaded.

The BlackBerry DTEK50, which is a reasonably slim 7.4mm thick, has 13-megapixel autofocus and 8MP fixed-focus cameras, and a 2,610mAh battery that the company claims will offer around 17 hours of juice. BlackBerry also said that the device can charge to 50 per cent in precisely 51 minutes, thanks to the inclusion of Quick Charge 2.0.

The DTEK50 smartphone is available to pre-order now at the BlackBerry website priced at £275 before it starts shipping on 8 August.

BlackBerry is expected to launch two more Android devices over the next 12 months. The so-called BlackBerry Argon is expected to be a top-end device with a 5.5-inch QHD screen and Snapdragon 820 internals, while the rumoured BlackBerry Mercury will have a physical keyboard. Unlike the BlackBerry Priv, BlackBerry's first Android phone, it will come in a candybar design.