BlackBerry Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) (TSE:BB)’s upcoming Passport Phone will be designed primarily for business and enterprise users. The upcoming phone is rumored to feature a square design, a 4.5 inch screen, and qwerty keypad/touch sensitive swipe pad. Unlike more popular rivals Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) and Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (LON:BC94) (KRX:0059935), the Canadian tech giant specifically designed this phone with work productivity features.
The significance of Passport
The Passport is a key device for BlackBerry as it is the first major smartphone to be slated globally since Chen took over the company late last year. Details regarding the phone have been slowly released throughout the past few months. There are also a few scheduled events for tomorrow in London, Dubai, and Toronto, just two days before the company releases second-quarter earning results. This means it is all part of the company’s chief executive officer John Chen’s plan.
The BlackBerry Passport is available for $599 in the United States without contract.
Citigroup analyst Ehud Gelblum explained, “We therefore believe the success of the device business is once again in the hands of BlackBerry’s consumer fans, counter to CEO Chen’s enterprise first strategy.”
BlackBerry’s shift to business market
The competition between phone makers is fierce. Apple and Samsung continue to dominate the market with high-end phones that offer the features. BlackBerry understands the consumer market is already saturated with phones, this means the company may have to put its focus back on the business market, the same market that helped BlackBerry once thrived.
Unfortunately, the Canadian tech giant may have to watch out as Apple is now invading the business territory. Earlier this summer, the iPhone maker teamed up with International Business Machines Corporation just to get more of their gadgets into the hands of businesses. This would also help IBM expand its mobile services.
Business is a big market that mobile companies need to cater to.
