No one asked for it, but Blackberry’s launched a new phone
Blackberry's first Android smartphone, the Priv, has hardly been a hit, but that's not stopping the formerly hottest phone maker in the world from launching another device – the Dtek 50.
Its second Android phone is cheaper than the Priv and is a purely touchscreen controlled device, ditching the familiar qwerty keyboard which made the original Blackberries a hit.
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Blackberry is trumpeting its security features – something it also did with the premium priced Priv -claiming it is the most secure Android phone ever made.
The phone maker has concentrated on security features rather than technical developments in the face of bigger rivals such as Apple, amid concerns over privacy and cyber security.
“We take our customers’ privacy seriously. That’s why we’re proud to have all the security and privacy functionality that’s built in our newest Android smartphone. Dtek 50 merges the unique security and connectivity features BlackBerry is known for with the rich Android ecosystem,” said Blackberry's chief operting officer Ralph Pini.
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“Dtek 50 adds to BlackBerry’s lineup of secure smartphones, providing choices to our customers with different price points on both BlackBerry 10 and Android platforms.”
Losses at Blackberry have grown as it switches to a software and services-based company rather than device maker.
The Priv hardly set the world alight and chief executive John Chen last month said it was crunch time for the device business and must become profitable by the end of the year.