BlackBerry to launch two mid-range Android smartphones to please enterprise customers

Confirming its commitment to Android, one device will have a physical keyboard and the other a full touchscreen.

Even though Chen did not disclose the specifications and features of the upcoming budget Android devices, he informed that the two new Android smartphones will be priced between Rs. 20,000 ($300) to Rs. 26,000 ($400).

During an interview with The National, CEO of BlackBerry, John Chen admitted that the first Android-powered BlackBerry may have been set too high for customers. Just last week, news surfaced that BlackBerry had two Android smartphones in the pipeline - BlackBerry "Hamburg" and BlackBerry "Rome". One of the key problems with the device has been the company's decision to go with a "slider" design, which has not been popular with customers who prefer larger displays over a sliding keyboard, he added.

That gives Chen hope for the hardware business, but the market for the privacy-focused device is not developing as fast as he would like, he said.

"In order to ensure as many people as possible can enjoy our first Secure Android Smartphone, we're reducing the price".

BlackBerry shocked plenty of folks by crawling out of their comfort zone with the BlackBerry Priv release.

The BlackBerry Priv launched with a price of $720 in the United States, which is certainly a high-end flagship price.

The BlackBerry Priv was the first commercial handset built with an Android operating system by the Canadian company. It also plans to launch a cheaper $350 Android handset in the near future, but there are doubts that it can stand out in a market saturated with cheap and powerful Android devices.

Mr Chen said that while BlackBerry would continue to release updates for BB10, there were no plans to launch new devices running the operating system.

Blackberry this week dropped the price of its Android-based PRIV by $50 in an attempt to boost sales in the wake of weaker than expected fourth quarter results.

"BlackBerry lost the consumer [handset] market a while ago, and now are nearly exclusively an enterprise player", said Roberta Cozza, a research director at the industry analyst Gartner. The company should also improve its marketing strategy to create product awareness among the users.

Source: BlackBerry to launch two mid-range Android smartphones to please enterprise customers