BlackBerry has announced two new smartphones at MWC 2014, the classically-shaped Q20 and the more modern Z3.
The BlackBerry Q20 will be of most interest to those who miss the good old days of physical keyboards, tiny screens, and trackpad nubbins.
CEO John Chen referred to the Q20 as “the classic,” and with good reason. As well as the renowned BlackBerry keyboard, the Q20 features a trackpad and hardware navigation keys below its 3.5-inch display – features that the BlackBerry Q10 omitted.
Expect to see the BlackBerry Q20 arriving in shops towards the end of 2014.
The BlackBerry Z3 will be more familiar to modern eyes. The handset formerly known as Jakarta comes with a 5-inch touchscreen display
Targeted at emerging markets, the BlackBerry Z3 will launch in Indonesia this April for less than $200 / £120. While this initial model will be 3G-only, Chen confirmed that an LTE model would be coming to other regions.
Both handsets were designed and made by Chinese mega-manufacturer Foxconn, and took just three months to develop. There were no final models on display at the event – only demo units of the Z3 – which shows how swiftly these devices are bring turned around.
Chen also confirmed that BlackBerry was working on some rather more high-end phones for later in the year, but offered no specifics. Don’t expect to see a BlackBerry smartwatch on the market any time soon, though – the CEO claimed to have to plans in that department just yet.
Read More: Best mobile phones 2014
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
