BlackBerry is turning to Android in an attempt to reclaim a slice of the smartphone market, and images of its first Google-flavoured device continue to leak, according to Digital Spy.

The latest images of the so-called Venice handset - published by Vietnamese website Tinhte - show off its retractable QWERTY keyboard.

The phone is expected to combine touchscreen functionality with BlackBerry's signature physical keys, as well as Google Play's vast library of apps.

Previous reports suggest that several BlackBerry 10 features will also be included, with services like the conversation-merging BlackBerry Hub and the ever-popular BBM app coming preloaded.

On the specs front, the Venice has been tipped to include a 5.4-inch QHD display, a 1.8GHz Snapdragon processor, an 18-megapixel camera, and 3GB of RAM.

BlackBerry is yet to confirm when the handset will see the light of day, but given that the leaks are coming in thick and fast, it can't be too far away.