Blackberry to launch two Android phones

Media caption Rory Cellan-Jones road tests for Blackberry Priv
Blackberry will release two mid-range Android phones this year, CEO John Chen said.
One will have a physical keyboard, the other a full touch screen.

Blackberry has no plans to develop mobile phones for their own operating system, BB10, but will continue to release updates for existing devices.

Its sales fell by almost $ 200 million in the three months to the end of February. Mr. Chen said he was the first Android-powered device, the Priv, was too expensive.

"The fact that we came out with a high-end phone is probably not wise, as it should be," he told the news site Emirates National.

Blackberry Chief Executive John ChenImage copyrightGetty ImagesImage captionBlackberry CEO John Chen said that one of the new devices will have a physical keyboard.

"Many enterprise customers have told us:" I want to buy a phone, but $ 700 [£ 491] a little too steep for me. I'm more interested in the device at a rate of $ 400. "

Mr. Chen previously blamed the poor performance on the delay the company's sales in the negotiations with the mobile networks of its Priv tube.

Last month, Facebook and Whatsapp messages exchange service announced that they were to stop supporting them Blackberry applications.

Blackberry said it was "extremely disappointed" by the decision.

"If the Blackberry is going to stay in business equipment, the decision to offer new devices from middle-class price is a reasonable step," said analyst Ben Wood of CCS Insight.

"We believe that it is possible to business users who do not want iPhones consumption giving their employees and want reliable, affordable and secure Android smartphone based on business use."