BlackBerry Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) (TSE:BB)’s upcoming true low-budget smartphone Z3 codenamed Jakarta has recently been the subject of the rumor mill. The Canadian company will be producing this device in collaboration with Foxconn Technology Co., Ltd. (TPE:2354). Terry Gou, chairman of the Taiwanese company, said recently that BlackBerry will unveil many Foxconn-made devices at the Mobile World Congress next week, and the Z3 or “Jakarta” is expected to be one of them.
BlackBerry Z3 resembles Sony smartphones
With a price tag of around $150, BlackBerry Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) (TSE:BB)’s Z3 is likely to be the first entry-level BB10 device. BlackBerry Q5 had a mid-range price tag. According to N4BB, the device will be a touch-only handset and its design is similar to Sony Corporation (NYSE:SNE) (TYO:6758) smartphones. Reports suggest that Z3 will see two major changes. The power on/off button will be on the left side of the smartphone, and the charging port is likely to be at the bottom.
The Z3 or Jakarta appears to be incredibly sleek device. It won’t pack plenty of power for those used to Q10 and Z30 type of devices, but it has good enough features to entice consumers in emerging markets, and that’s where BlackBerry Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) (TSE:BB) plans to sell this device. The Z3 is reported to feature a 5-inch 24-bit color LCD display with 540 x 960 pixels. It will have 1.5GB RAM and 8GB internal storage capacity. The Z3 is rumored to be powered by 1.2GHz dual-core processor and 2650 mAh battery. Z3 will reportedly have a 5MP main camera with 5X zoom and autofocus feature. The front camera is likely to be 1.1MP with 3x digital zoom and fixed focus.
Z3 to be a game changer for BlackBerry?
BlackBerry Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) (TSE:BB) announced the five-year deal with Foxconn Technology Co., Ltd. (TPE:2354) during its third quarter earnings call. The Taiwanese vendor will manufacture and manage the supply chain of Blackberry smartphones, taking on some of the risks of the Canadian company. Z3 or Jakarta will be first launched in Indonesia, where BlackBerry still has a good market share, in April. The Canadian company is hoping to revive its ailing smartphone business with this deal.
BlackBerry Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) (TSE:BB) shares jumped 4.12% to $9.35 in pre-market trading Tuesday.
