Today, BlackBerry announced a new phone, the Classic.
But can its latest attempt at a device tear you away from your brand spankin’ new, giant-screened smartphone?
Probably not, but it isn’t trying to.
The classic is geared toward email addicts who need a dedicated phone for handling business.
The Classic isn’t geared toward outpacing the competition with things like a bigger screen and faster processor.
It has a physical keyboard, perfect for tearing through email, and a 3.5-inch touchscreen, perfect for not watching or playing anything on, and suited only for web pages and reading email.
You can download Android apps from Amazon’s App Store, but finding apps catering to the square display may prove challenging.
BlackBerry is essentially reintroducing the Bold to an audience that has moved on from its QWERTY keyboard phones, although John Chen, CEO at BlackBerry thinks otherwise.
“We listened closely to our customers’ feedback to ensure we are delivering the technologies to power them through their day — and that feedback led directly to the development of BlackBerry Classic,†said Chen.
Nontraditional phones seem to be a recurring trend lately at Canada-based BlackBerry (formerly Research In Motion). The company released the BlackBerry Passport earlier this year, a square smartphone with a 4.5-inch screen and full keyboard.
The company does have a more recognizable smartphone in the form of the Z30, but it isn’t very popular, considering the fact that it gets rid of the feature BlackBerry’s core audience desires: the keyboard.
The phone is available unlocked for $449, and “through local carriers around the world and online through ShopBlackBerry.com and Amazon.com.”
You can check out BlackBerry’s Classic video below.