RIM, it’s a nasty word we just don’t use anymore. The newly rebranded company, now going by BlackBerry, is releasing its keyboard touting, BlackBerry 10 OS running smartphone in Canada on May 1st of this year. Canadian carriers such as Rogers Wireless, Bell Mobility and Telus will be selling the Q10, which will retail for $199 CSD with the signing of a three-year contract. The Q10 will also be available through participating brick and mortar retailers such as Future Shop and Walmart Canada.
BlackBerry unveiled two BlackBerry 10 smartphones back in January of this year, the Z10 and the Q10. The difference between the two is a QWERTY keyboard, a piece of BlackBerry’s past that will grace the Q10. The Z10 was released in the U.S. and Canada in early February.
BlackBerry claims to have shipped 1 million Z10 units worldwide — not a bad start for the company, but not the best either. With Apple and Google dominating the smartphone app ecosystem with their iOS and Android offerings, BlackBerry is having a hard time penetrating the consumer mind with 83% of Americans ignorant about the release of BlackBerry 10. The Z10 is accounting for 5.3% of BlackBerry traffic currently, which is a step in the right direction. The release of the Q10 could propel the company into the limelight however if it is adopted by traditional BlackBerry consumers, who are mostly business and enterprise users.
What do you think about BlackBerry’s new operating system and handset offerings? Is BlackBerry doomed, or can it compete against Android and iOS? Let us know your thoughts.
[Via: Mashable]