BlackBerry says has no plans to shut down handset unit

BlackBerry Ltd has no plans to shut down its loss-making handset business, said its incoming interim Chief Executive John Chen on Monday, adding that the smartphone maker has enough in its stable to stage a turnaround.

"I know we have enough ingredients to build a long-term sustainable business," said Chen in a telephone interview with Reuters on Monday. "I have done this before and seen the same movie before."

Chen, who is replacing Thorsten Heins, said he plans to make changes in the company's executive team, bringing in new faces from outside and promoting some people within the company too.

(Reporting by Euan Rocha and Jim Finkle; Editing by Gerald E. McCormick)