Touted as a no-nonsense smartphone, the Classic features touch display and QWERTY keyboard. BlackBerry hopes people who have grown used to touch displays will try it out as an retro trend.
BlackBerry has officially unveiled its Classic smartphone featuring full QWERTY keyword, physical navigation keys and design language of the BlackBerry Bold 9900. The smartphone is available through Amazon.com and www.BlackBerry.com for $449 in the U.S. and $499 in Canada.
The BlackBerry Classic runs BlackBerry OS 10.3.1 and is powered by a 1.5 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor along with 2GB of RAM. The BlackBerry Classic has a 3.5-inch touch display, 294 dpi HD resolution and Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection.
It comes with an 8MP rear facing camera and 2MP front facing camera. It has 16GB of device storage (expandable by up to another 128GB via Micro SD card).
Other important features of the Classic include BlackBerry Blend, digital assistant BlackBerry Assistant, dual app storefronts – BlackBerry World and Amazon Appstore, and BlackBerry Hub.
“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. BlackBerry Classic is the powerful communications tool that many BlackBerry Bold and Curve users have been waiting for. It’s the secure device that feels familiar in their hands, with the added performance and agility they need to be competitive in today’s busy world,” says John Chen, Executive Chairman and CEO at BlackBerry.
BlackBerry has been making a lot of efforts to make a comeback in the smartphone segment, currently dominated by the likes of Google's Android and Samsung. The recent BlackBerry Passport, the square QWERTY smartphone, helped BlackBerry gained some attention.
Check out our detailed BlackBerry Passport Review
Right now there's no word on the availability of the smartphone in India. But, we expect to be available early next year. What do you think about the new BlackBerry Classic? Do you think it is overpriced? Let us know your views in the comments section below:
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