Canadian firm BlackBerry launched its latest flagship smartphone, Passport, in global markets late on Wednesday, as it strives to turn around the company which was once one of the most valuable technology companies and global pioneer of smartphones.
Having lost good ground in the market to aggressive competition due to slow innovation and consumer shift to full-screen touch smartphones, the latest launch is critical for the Ontario-based company as it must get back in the game and stay relevant, say analysts.
At the launch in Ontario, chief executive John Chen said that restructuring of the company was behind it and that it was well on its way to revival. "(The Passport is) aimed at 30% of the mobile base that likes a productive keyboard and long battery life. It's a very different format and a first in the industry," he said at the launch on Wednesday evening, showcasing the device which is largely targeted at working professionals, enterprises and corporate users.
The unusually designed square smartphone, which is completely different from the scores of rectangular devices in the market, will be sold for an introductory price of $599 in the US without contract, beginning this week.
The device is immediately available for purchase on the company's website and Amazon. com in the US.
As it prepares to launch the Passport in India next week, expected to cost above Rs40,000 depending on taxes and impor duties, it will face the challenge of raising its market share from less than 1% at present, as per IDC, while fighting a mushrooming clan of Chinese smartphone players, including Xiaomi and the rejuvenated Motorola which has captured more than 5% share within months of re-entering India. India pricing for the Passport has not been decided yet. "If the device has some out-of-the-box user experience, it can make an impact," said Karan Thakkar, senior analyst at research firm IDC.
"The look and feel of the Passport no doubt is very unique," he added.
The Passport, which was initially revealed in June, has a 4.5-inch high definition square touch screen with a Qwerty touch enabled keyboard, powered by a 2.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon processor and a large 3450 mAh battery. Users will get 3GB of RAM and 32GB of inbuilt storage besides expandable storage which can be increased to 64GB through microSD card. It also has the new 10.3 OS update and new BlackBerry Assistant, similar to Siri, Google Now and Cortana, which pick up voice commands when launched.
"This is not a phone for the consumer market," said Sanchit Vir Gogia, founder CEO at Greyhound Research. "It will definitely make a comeback in the chosen professional segment who want to type, but it won't change it (share of market) dramatically here," he added.
At the launch in Ontario, chief executive John Chen said that restructuring of the company was behind it and that it was well on its way to revival. "(The Passport is) aimed at 30% of the mobile base that likes a productive keyboard and long battery life. It's a very different format and a first in the industry," he said at the launch on Wednesday evening, showcasing the device which is largely targeted at working professionals, enterprises and corporate users.
The unusually designed square smartphone, which is completely different from the scores of rectangular devices in the market, will be sold for an introductory price of $599 in the US without contract, beginning this week.
The device is immediately available for purchase on the company's website and Amazon. com in the US.
As it prepares to launch the Passport in India next week, expected to cost above Rs40,000 depending on taxes and impor duties, it will face the challenge of raising its market share from less than 1% at present, as per IDC, while fighting a mushrooming clan of Chinese smartphone players, including Xiaomi and the rejuvenated Motorola which has captured more than 5% share within months of re-entering India. India pricing for the Passport has not been decided yet. "If the device has some out-of-the-box user experience, it can make an impact," said Karan Thakkar, senior analyst at research firm IDC.
"The look and feel of the Passport no doubt is very unique," he added.
The Passport, which was initially revealed in June, has a 4.5-inch high definition square touch screen with a Qwerty touch enabled keyboard, powered by a 2.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon processor and a large 3450 mAh battery. Users will get 3GB of RAM and 32GB of inbuilt storage besides expandable storage which can be increased to 64GB through microSD card. It also has the new 10.3 OS update and new BlackBerry Assistant, similar to Siri, Google Now and Cortana, which pick up voice commands when launched.
"This is not a phone for the consumer market," said Sanchit Vir Gogia, founder CEO at Greyhound Research. "It will definitely make a comeback in the chosen professional segment who want to type, but it won't change it (share of market) dramatically here," he added.
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