It is a new approach for the company which has struggled to attract customers to its own operating system, BB10.

BlackBerry said its new device, Priv, was designed to offer customers improved security over rival Android handsets.

"Coming with a device that tries to address security on Android is a good idea, but may have been better three years ago," said Francisco Jeronimo, research director for industry analysts IDC.

"It will be difficult to regain clients who have already moved to other handsets, and it's quite an expensive device."

The BBC's Rory Cellan-Jones went hands-on with the Priv and asked the company if it was enough to win back market share.