While BlackBerry has yet to unveil its next Android device, codenamed “Hamburg”, reports indicate that the smartphone has passed the FCC (the U.S. Federal Communications Commission), signaling it is nearing launch.
Both the unveiling and launch may happen as early as this week as BlackBerry CEO John Chen is expected discuss both Hamburg as well as the next device, called “Rome”, during a live stream July 26.
As we previously reported, the first device, albeit with a different code name, is expected to be a 5.2-incher with mid-range specs.
FCC filings indicate that Hamburg is made by TCL, the owners of Alcatel, and will have a 2,610 mAh battery, NFC, Bluetooth 4.2, microUSB, 3G and LTE.
Not all specs are confirmed, however. Previous rumours suggest it features a Qualcomm Snapdragon 617 SoC processor, 3GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage, and 13MP and 8MP cameras.
The device does not feature a physical keyboard.
Stay tuned as details emerge.