BWIJING – *There’s a new BlackBerry smartphone, the latest effort to revivethe once-dominant brand.*
The BlackBerry Key2 was unveiled Thursday in New York by TCL Communication,the Chinese manufacturer which took over the rights to the smartphone brandfrom the Canadian tech firm in 2016.
The new device, which includes a physical keyboard under a 4.5 inch screenand runs the Android operating system updates the first BlackBerry Keyreleased last year.
It will be sold this month starting at $649 or 649 euros, according to thecompany.
“Although there are many different smartphones for consumers to choose fromtoday, most tend to offer very similar experiences without much distinctionfrom one to the next,” said Alain Lejeune, head of TCL’s BlackBerry Mobiledivision.
“With the introduction of BlackBerry Key2, we’ve created a distinctsmartphone that captures all the traits that have made BlackBerrysmartphones iconic, while introducing new innovations and experiences thatnot only make this one of the best devices for security and privacy, butalso the most advanced BlackBerry smartphone ever.”
BlackBerry’s share of the global smartphone market has fallen to virtuallyzero from a peak of more than half a decade ago.
The dominance of Apple’s iOS and Android-powered handsets prompted theCanada-based firm to abandon the market to concentrate on software andservices.
Under the agreement between the two firms, Canada’s BlackBerry will remainin control of software and security on smartphones, while TCL will producehandsets powered by Google Android software, abandoning the formerBlackBerry OS software.
TCL also produces smartphones under the Alcatel brand. – APP/ AFP