Foxconn is commonly known for its association with Apple, it is one of the largest manufacturers that Apple contracts for a number of its products. While there have been rumors that Foxconn might be thinking about jumping in the smartphone game itself, for now it has found a partner. BlackBerry has announced that it has signed a five year deal with Foxconn, under the deal these two companies will work together to develop smartphones geared primarily towards emerging markets. Foxconn will manufacture these smartphones at its facilities in Mexico and Indonesia.
New BlackBerry CEO John Chen said that this deal allows the company to focus on what it does best, “iconic design, world-class security, software development and enterprise mobility management,” while addressing the needs of emerging markets by leveraging Foxconn’s scale and efficiency in manufacturing smartphones. Chen believes that this deal will help BlackBerry compete more effectively. The company’s hardware division hasn’t been able to produce a hit in 2013 and as a result of that BlackBerry has lost significant market share and money throughout this year. Some analysts believe that this just might be the last straw for BlackBerry and its devices, which once dominated the global market. Back home at Waterloo, the company will continue work on high-end devices, which are expected to come in the first half of 2014.
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