BlackBerry has a lot riding on the Z3. It is the first smartphone born out of its five-year partnership with Foxconn. The BlackBerry Z3 was first released in Indonesia though the company never said that it wouldn’t make its way to other markets. We heard a few weeks back that the Z3 could be launched in India and Malaysia. Today the final date for BlackBerry Z3 Malaysia launch has been confirmed.
The company’s CEO John Chen said during its recent earnings call and general meeting that the smartphone would be released in other markets soon. This is soon enough. Malaysia is one of the few markets where BlackBerry still has some sway, and it hopes to bring back users who have left by offering them a competitively priced full-touchscreen smartphone.
This is also the only new device that BlackBerry has released this year. Its high-end devices, the BlackBerry Classic and Passport, aren’t due for at least a few months. With competition in the high-end market tougher than ever the company looks to claw back some market share by competing with low-cost devices.
BlackBerry Z3 Malaysia launch has been confirmed for July 7th. There the smartphone will be sold for approximately $217. There has been chatter about a LTE-compatible variant destined for the U.S. as well but so far it has not materialized.
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