The head of the BlackBerry John Chen admitted that the company erred in releasing its first Android-smartphone as the flagship. Due to the high cost Priv phone was unclaimed, and experiment BlackBerry for using someone else’s platform failed.
Many corporate BlackBerry customers complained on the price. “I’d like to buy your phone, but $700 is too much for me. $400 I’d be interested in more” — gave the example of dialogue Chen. He said that corporate audience for them main.
“The decision to make our first Android smartphone top-end device, probably was not so wise as supposed to be,” said Chen in an interview with the National, saying that in 2016 the company intends to release two models of Android-smartphone in the middle price range.
The head of the company did not say when the device will go on sale, but said that one of the models will possess a mechanical keyboard is standard QWERTY, and the other will be without a keyboard with a touch screen.
The first Android smartphone the company announced in September 2015. The model is made in the form of a slider. It has a 5.4 inch display and a mechanical keyboard that slides from the bottom. The company has installed in the smartphone of their own branded software designed for data protection and management.
In the first quarter of 2016, according to BlackBerry, it was sold to 600 000 BlackBerry Priv, 250 000 pieces compared with the expectations of independent experts. Recently the manufacturer has lowered the cost of Priv to $650.
In the fourth quarter of the 2015-2016 fiscal year, which ended on February 29, 2016, loss of the company amounted to $238 million a Year earlier the loss was $304 million In October of 2015, Chen said that BlackBerry may abandon smartphone market in the course of the year, if the business to produce mobile devices will continue to cause damage.
