If BlackBerry releases a $350 Android smartphone, much like the Priv in design, would you be more interested?
The company's 10 new most important emerging markets include India, China, Indonesia, South Africa, Nigeria, UAE and Israel, where it would be re-doing the distribution system, and rebuilding the infrastructure.
One of the reasons for this decline in performance is the highly anticipated BlackBerry Priv's failure to make a mark in the market. Only those who have purchased their BlackBery Prive devices from ShopBlackBerry, Amazon or Carphone Warehouse stores would be eligible. Between the fourth quarters of 2009 and 2015, BlackBerry's global market share in smartphones plunged from 20% to 0.2%. It failed to recognize the meteoric rise of touchscreen UI and subsequent powerful growth of Android and iPhone app's ecosystem. According to speculations, BlackBerry Priv users may scratch the flagship off the waiting list soon. There is however no official word regarding the number of Priv units sold in the market. While the company still has some fans in the enterprise market, it has essentially been abandoned by the consumer market with little chance to recover its position.
Chen also told The National that BlackBerry plans to release two mid-range devices this year. You can expect these devices to cost up to $400 each. They will support the software with updates for existing devices, however. The company, as a result, cut down the price of the handset earlier this week.
Chen further reckons that BlackBerry's handset business did see some progress in the last quarter, but it still has a way to go.
Software represents more than 22% of BlackBerry's business right now and the company hopes to double that figure in the coming years.
He however added that the company's focus on hardware has shrunk to 30% now, against 100% when he took over a few years back. The Canadian company has already realized that its only chance to keep building mobile phones is to put Android on them.
Source: BlackBerry to launch two mid-range Android smartphones this year: CEO John Chen
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