TCL, BlackBerry Partnership: TCL-Made BlackBerry Smartphone To Be Launch On CES 2017
TLC Company which recently worked with BlackBerry on the DTEK50 and DTEK60 in the past have now become an exclusive global manufacturer and distributor to all incoming Blackberry branded smartphones. The said company will reveal an evolutionary first in the mobile industry at the upcoming CES show in January.
Blackberry recently made an announcement that all of its smartphones will be manufactured and sold by the TLC communication (TCT). A week before the announcement, the news about the Blackberry-TCL partnership broke saying that TLC will launch the latest Blackberry smartphones at the CES 2017 trade show.
For now, there are no details that the company reveals regarding the new devices. However, it is expected that one of them could bring the Blackberry's signature physical QWERTY keyboard.
According to the TCL Communication, the CES presentation will include information on how the Blackberry brand legacy will carry on in a new generation of smartphones. Blackberry is apparently betting on the new partnership with China's TCL to compete with smartphones produce by Apple and Samsung.
Last September, Blackberry made an announcement that it is quitting the mobile manufacturing business and would focus on its software unit. Now, the company launched the Android-powered DTEK60 which was manufactured under the agreement with TCL Communication.
"We'll unveil more news at CES around our plans, showcasing the legacy of the BlackBerry smartphone brand, while also giving a glimpse into what new BlackBerry smartphones will offer as part of our bold new brand portfolio within TCT. These are just the building blocks of our new growth strategy, with additional announcements to come in 2017," Steve Cistulli, President and General Manager for TCL Communication (TCT) said.
According to Android Headlines, analysts are still not sure when the device will be revealed and what name it will commercially use. However, the new gadget will hit the US first. The Blackberry's partnership with TCL does not allow it to sell the new mobile phones in India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh and Indonesia.