The all-touch BlackBerry Z3 was not the only smartphone BlackBerry announced today. It also unveiled the BlackBerry Q20 (or the BlackBerry Classic as CEO John Chen refers to it), its latest QWERTY keyboard smartphone. With BlackBerry’s new found focus on QWERTY keyboards, the BlackBerry Q20 also brings back the classic function keys, ‘Menu,’ ‘Back,’ ‘Send’ and ‘End,’ and trackpad found on earlier devices.
“In my first 90 days on the job, I consistently heard from our ardent BlackBerry customers that the hard buttons and trackpad are an essential part of the BlackBerry QWERTY experience, that made their BlackBerry smartphone their go-to productivity tool. I want these customers to know that we heard them, and this new smartphone will be for them,” said John Chen, Executive Chairman and CEO at BlackBerry. “Today, we’re delighted to announce the new BlackBerry Q20 smartphone, which is designed to give you the distinct experience that every BlackBerry QWERTY loyalist and high-productivity business customer absolutely loves. With the BlackBerry Q20 smartphone, you’ll get the familiar hard buttons and trackpad that you want, along with the best email service, the best keyboard experience and the best battery life possible.”
Few details were provided about the BlackBerry Q20 but it will come with “a generous 3.5” touchscreen,” a large battery and will “be crafted from premium materials and designed for reliability and durability.” Like the BlackBerry Z3, it is manufactured by Foxconn.
The BlackBerry Q20 will launch in the second half of the year. Further details, including specific launch details and pricing, will be announced later.
Source : BlackBerry