BlackBerry is going on the offensive to reclaim some of its lost market share with four new smartphones being released later this year. A news website devoted to the brand of smart-devices has obtained the company’s product roadmap for 2014. Despite fighting an uphill battle against Apple and Android devices which remain far more popular, BlackBerry is not giving up the fight yet. The released document shows four new smartphones slated for launch this autumn, each one targeting a different market demographic.
The roadmap classifies the four new devices as “Affordable,” “Classic,” “Innovative,” and “Prestige.” The Classic Q20, innovative “Windermere” Passport, and prestige “Khan” P’9983 all sport the classic BlackBerry QWERTY keyboards, whereas the affordable “Manitoba” Z3 LTE is a more standard smartphone with a larger touchscreen and no keypad. The Passport and P’9983 are scheduled for a release in Q3 2014, whereas the Q20 and Z3 LTE have no stated 2014 launch date as of yet. However, given that new tech is usually launched in the fall, it is highly likely that they will be made available by Q4 of this year.
The Classic Q20 is aptly named, representing the most standard and recognizable of the BlackBerry designs. The Q20 will be the more affordable option for users who desire a physical keyboard, as the more powerful Z3 LTE and P’9983 are targeted at more up-scale markets. The Classic Q20 will sport a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 1.5 GHz processor, 2GB of RAM, and a trackpad for easy one-handed use. It will ship with the latest 10.3 BlackBerry OS. (Picture: BlackBerry Q10)
BlackBerry has lost most of its market share to its Apple iOS and Google Android competitors, but is not ceding the fight just yet.
The company is marketing its products towards professionals as well as average users who still desire a physical QWERTY keyboard on their smartphones, such as with the Classic Q20. BlackBerry may yet have the potential to recapture some lost ground and create a niche for itself, and the new devices being released this year will be a test for the company to rediscover its appeal to consumers.
Source: http://airherald.com/blackberry-unveils-four-new-smartphones-including-new-blackberry-q20/8260/
