MWC : BlackBerry Z3 and Q20 Announced
BlackBerry has unwrapped two new handsets at the Barcelona expo – the BlackBerry Q20 and BlackBerry Z3.
The BlackBerry- and Foxconn-built 3G-only BlackBerry Z3 is an entry-level BlackBerry 10 smartphone running 10.2.1 with a 5-inch 960×540 pixel qHD display, a 1.2 GHz dual-core Snapdragon processor, 1.5 GB RAM, 8GB storage, a 2650 mAh non-removable battery, a 5MP rear camera and a 1.1MP front-facing camera. The BlackBerry Z3 will be available in Indonesia this coming April for under $200. There are future plans to create the Z3 as an LTE-capable device, but no indication of an Indian release.
CEO John Chen also said the company will bring a ‘classic’ take on one of their BlackBerry 10 smartphones. It was rumoured that BlackBerry would re-introduce the “belt” of function keys and trackpad back into its devices and Chen confirmed this by saying the Q20, along with a “classic” BlackBerry look, will launch later this year.
The Q20, available before the end of the year, will have a traditional BlackBerry layout, aimed squarely at the company’s original core business and government customers, Chen said. BlackBerry has not revealed much about the device’s specs just yet, but has confirmed the phone will feature “sculpted” keys and frets on the keyboard, similar to the popular BlackBerry Q10 design which made typing an absolute joy.
