This is an archive article published on March 7, 2018
BlackBerry’s new full touchscreen phone is coming soon and will be ‘Made in India’
The BlackBerry phone story will get a big boost this year with Noida-based Optiemus Infracom planning to launch a number of new devices with either physical keyboards or full touchscreens.
A number of BlackBerry-branded Android smartphones will be made available in India, starting the second-quarter of 2018.
The BlackBerry phone story will get a big boost this year with Noida-based Optiemus Infracom planning to launch a number of new devices with either physical keyboards or full touchscreens. All these phones will be running Android 8.1 Oreo with focus on security as a key differentiator. The first of these will be a ‘full-touch’ phone that will hit the market in the second-quarter of 2018.
Interestingly, while these will be branded as BlackBerry, the phones will be designed in-house by Optiemus which will also manufacture these devices. “These would be a mix of keypad phones and the full touch phones,” Hardip Singh, Executive Director, Optiemus Infracom told indianexpress.com. The company plans to release these upcoming BlackBerry-branded Android smartphones at various price points, a move aimed at reviving the BlackBerry brand in the Indian smartphone market. All the upcoming phones will be made available through different channels in India as well as Nepal, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka.
The KeyOne was the first BlackBerry-branded smartphone manufactured by Optiemus under the licensing agreement signed in February. The device was slightly different when compared to the global variant of the BlackBerry KeyOne. PT BB Merah Putih in Indonesia has signed a similar agreement with BlackBerry. Meanwhile, TCL Communication has got the global mandate to manufacture and market BlackBerry-branded smartphones.
India has always been a good market for the iconic brand and even now there are more than a million active BlackBerry users in India, claims Singh. In its new innings, BlackBerry will not only target the top-end of the market but also the mid-end segment, a shift that will help the brand to make a promising comeback. But don’t expect a BlackBerry-branded smartphone to hit the low-end market anytime soon. The branded phones will aim to sell on basis of better privacy, top-of-the-line specifications, and traditional BlackBerry aesthetics. For Singh, the BlackBerry brand is much more relevant in 2018 than what it was five years back.
Although Singh has been tight-lipped about the successor to the KeyOne, he did mention that the models planned with keypads would be a part of this family. Some of the smartphones with keypads are expected to arrive in Q2 of this year, though which model will hit the market first is still unknown. However, Singh made it clear that the company wants to make smartphones with keypads at different price points. When asked why the company is stressing on making a smartphone with a built-in physical keypad, Singh replied: “A traditionalist, BlackBerry loyalist still prefer a keyboard because there is no better way to type a mail or message on a phone with a physical keypad.”
Meanwhile, the company has no plans to launch a BlackBerry-branded 4G feature phone in the near future. The company is open to the idea of rebooting classic BlackBerry phones, provided there is a “demand for a particular model or a type”.
Anuj Bhatia is a seasoned personal technology writer at indianexpress.com with a career spanning over a decade. Active in the domain since 2011, he has established himself as a distinct voice in tech journalism, specializing in long-form narratives that bridge the gap between complex innovation and consumer lifestyle.
Experience & Career: Anuj has been a key contributor to The Indian Express since late 2016. Prior to his current tenure, he served as a Senior Tech Writer at My Mobile magazine and held a role as a reviewer and tech writer at Gizbot. His professional trajectory reflects a rigorous commitment to technology reporting, backed by a postgraduate degree from Banaras Hindu University.
Expertise & Focus Areas: Anuj’s reporting covers the spectrum of personal technology, characterized by a unique blend of modern analysis and historical context. His key focus areas include:
Core Technology: Comprehensive coverage of smartphones, personal computers, apps, and lifestyle tech.
Deep-Dive Narratives: Specializes in composing longer-form feature articles and explainers that explore the intersection of history, technology, and popular culture.
Global & Local Scope: Reports extensively on major international product launches from industry titans like Apple and Google, while simultaneously covering the ecosystem of indie and home-grown tech startups.
Niche Interests: A dedicated focus on vintage technology and retro gaming, offering readers a nostalgic yet analytical perspective on the evolution of tech.
Authoritativeness & Trust
Anuj is a trusted voice in the industry, recognized for his ability to de-jargonize trending topics and provide context to rapid technological advancements. His authority is reinforced by his on-ground presence at major international tech conferences and his nuanced approach to product reviews. By balancing coverage of the world's most valuable tech brands with emerging startups, he offers a holistic and objective view of the global technology landscape.
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A number of BlackBerry-branded Android smartphones will be made available in India, starting the second-quarter of 2018.
