BlackBerry Classic New Smartphone Release Date and Price: BlackBerry Makes Last Ditch Effort With Latest Phone
BlackBerry has finally launched the last tool available in their arsenal of dwindling last ditch attempts to regain market share, and return as the giants they once were. They are calling it the BlackBerry classic, as a throwback to the design and appeal of their older models, in hopes of re-capturing the interest of ex-BlackBerry fans.
The new BlackBerry Classic resembles the old Bold model smartphone, and features a traditional physical keyboard. The physical keyboard had long ago become the trademark of a BlackBerry as millions of users once swore they preferred it to the now conventional touchscreen phones. Research in Motion was once the absolute ruler of the smartphone world. Their physical keyboards, combined with their pioneering enterprise software and security measures made them an instant favorite for government employees and large multi-national organizations. Their fall from grace however has not been kind.
Through years of plummeting sales and disappointing hardware releases, BlackBerry fell to a mere $5 a share at one point, sparking rumors of a buyout and the end of BlackBerry as we know it. However it appears they are ready for one more Hail Mary as they release their latest device, and the name is fitting, as they truly need a miracle.
The BlackBerry Classic will go on sale Wednesday in the United States for a retail value of $449. It will initially only be available through Amazon.com and BlackBerry.com and will come to the carriers at a later as of yet unspecified date. This time around BlackBerry has partnered with Taiwanese manufacturing company Foxconn, the company known for the manufacture of iPhones and iPads.
The new throwback BlackBerry will boast a battery life 50% longer than BlackBerry's staple 9900. The 3.5-inch touch screen is designed to be tough, sharp, and help bring to BlackBerry 10 to life in stunning detail with a 720 X 720 pixel image. Interestingly the device is using a 2012 Qualcomm processor and comes fitted with 2GB of RAM. The hardware may be a bit outdated but perhaps BlackBerry figures it's plenty for the task at hand of answering e-mails.
Will the BlackBerry Classic help the struggling smartphone manufacturer survive with the help of old die-hard fans? Will enough people choose a company who has lost their cool factor over their iPhones and Galaxy's? Here's to hoping.
Subscribe to Latin Post!
Sign up for our free newsletter for the Latest coverage!