Thursday, 5 June 2014
BlackBerry launched a low-cost touchscreen device in Jakarta, the Z3, as the embattled smartphone maker looks to revive sales in emerging markets like Indonesia where its once-fervent following has withered.
The handset, to be presented at a glitzy launch event in the Indonesian capital on Tuesday, is the first in a line of devices being made with FIH Mobile, a unit of Foxconn, best known for producing Apple iPhones and iPads. The success of the handset retailing for less than $200 could well decide the outcome of both BlackBerry’s tie-up with the contract manufacturing giant and its own future in smartphones. The Z3 Jakarta Edition will hit store shelves on May 15.
The Z3 is the first phone to be launched by BlackBerry since new Chief Executive John Chen took the helm late last year. It’s initially being launched in Indonesia, but will be gradually introduced in other markets as well. Tech2 has learnt that India is one of the countries where the BlackBerry Z3 will be launched following the Indonesia debut. If so, the device could well retail for under Rs 13,000, competing against the likes of the Nokia Lumia 630 and Moto G.
Chen hopes that the Z3 and other devices to follow spark a change in the company’s fortunes. The Z3 is being launched at a price point below $200 to address one of the big turnoffs for consumers in emerging markets – BlackBerry 10 devices being too pricey. “From conception to delivery, the BlackBerry Z3 Jakarta Edition was designed specifically with out Indonesian customers in mind,” Chen said in a statement before the launch. The device will allow users to type in Bahasa and come with a special set of BlackBerry Messenger, or BBM Stickers featuring local characters.
The BlackBerry Z3 has a 5" qHD (540 x 960) display, 8 GB of expandable on-board storage, 1.5 GB of RAM to accompany the dual-core 1.2 GHz Snapdragon 200 processor. The cameras are a 5 MP unit on the back along with a 1.1 MP 720p unit on the front. There are no physical QWERTY keyboards here, this is a full touch device. The BlackBerry Z3 will carry BlackBerry OS version 10.2.1 and be powered by a 2,500 mAh battery.
