BlackBerry launched it’s first fully touchscreen phone without it’s trademark physical keyboards. Not only that the phone is powered by Google’s Android operating system and is in the affordable range as compared to it’s other offerings. Amidst tumbling sales and failure after failure of so called “saviour” products launched by the ailing company, BlackBerry has decided to go mainstream with an Android powered, fully touchscreen and affordable(ish) phone with it’s DTEK 50.
DTEK 50 sports a full HD 5.2″ display, an impressive 3 GB RAM, it’s Qualcomm Snapdragon 617 processor can easily handle multi-tasking and gaming apps. On the memory front, though it comes only with a measly 16 Gb of internal storage which BlackBerry is trying to compensate with support for memory cards upto 2 Terabytes (Yes, 2 TB Memory Card is theoretically possible to make… For more on 2 TB memory card.. Click Here). It is to be released with Android version 6.0 more popularly known as Android M/Marshmallow. Speaking of cameras, the phone has a decent 13 Megapixel camera in the back with auto-focus and an equally good front camera or selfie camera of 8 Megapixels.
BlackBerry has stated that it will manufacture the phone itself and will offer security patches as the company still focusses on professionals and business individuals whose main concern is security and privacy. Currently, the company plans to sell the phone only in Canada and the US. Though, network carriers will sell the phone in Canada, in the US, retailers like Best Buy, B&H and Amazon will be roped in. Will the company sell the phone in India is still not revealed and most probably the phone will never be launched in India( as per my personal opinion)
The most important thing, the price at which the company plans to sell the phone in retail is stated to be $299 which translates to roughly Rs. 20,000 and will be an easy sell among BlackBerry fanatics in India. It may even give Xiaomi, OnePlus and other prevalent brands a new healthy competition.
Will BlackBerry be able to taste any success with DTEK 50? Will it be a failure even a nail in the coffin for the already ailing company? Would you buy the phone if it is launched in India? Do express your opinions in the comments section below.
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