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BlackBerry 10 devices and Samsung Knox approved for use by the Department of Defense

BlackBerry 10 devices and Samsung Knox approved for use by the Department of Defense

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BlackBerry Z10 angle (912px)
BlackBerry Z10 angle (912px)

In what would have been a blow for BlackBerry, word broke yesterday that Apple iOS devices and some Samsung Galaxy phones would be approved for use by the Department of Defense. The DoD has now officially issued those approvals, and not only is iOS not mentioned, but BlackBerry 10 devices have been approved. BlackBerry itself announced that BB10 devices — the full lineup of the Z10, Q10, and the PlayBook — will be allowed on DoD networks when coupled with BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10.

A Defense Department spokesperson confirmed to The Verge that devices running Samsung Knox — a piece of software that essentially creates a separate, secured environment on your smartphone for business use — will also be allowed. Samsung Knox was originally going to ship with the Galaxy S4, but reports surfaced last month that the software would be delayed until July. It's not clear if the delay was somehow related to the DoD approval, but it's nevertheless good news for a feature that Samsung hopes will allow it to make additional inroads into the business community. Despite the news earlier this week, however, there's still no confirmation when it comes to Apple's mobile operating system. We've reached out to the DoD for further details.

Update: We've been informed by a Defense Department spokesperson that several other mobile devices and operating systems are also being reviewed for possible use. As for iOS, the Defense Information Systems Agency has a few outstanding questions about the operating system. It's expected that iOS 6 will join BlackBerry 10 and Samsung Knox in being approved sometime in the next two weeks.