Things weren't looking great a few months ago for BlackBerry, as the company delayed releasing its next-generation operating system, BlackBerry 10, and faced losing even more customers to iOS, Android, and Windows Phone. The company finally released the operating system and the BlackBerry Z10 in January, followed by the Q10 in recent weeks, and both smartphones are reportedly selling very well. This success means a lease of life for the struggling company and now it wants to capitalize on it by delivering more new smartphones to consumers later this year.
It seemed as if BlackBerry, who had once held the title of being king of the smartphone world, would never be able to recover and climb its way back to contention. It saw iOS and Android devices eat into its market share, and most recently Windows Phone passed BlackBerry in Q3 for the number of smartphones shipped. However, BlackBerry is expected to pass Windows Phone in Q4 as sales of both the BlackBerry Q10 and Z10 have been doing better than analysts had expected.
The company also recently announced a more budget friendly BlackBerry Q5 that keeps the familiar physical QWERTY keyboard found on the flagship Q10, but will have watered-down specifications to cater to the low-end of the smartphone market. And now, according to a new report, the company will release three to four new BB10-powered smartphones this year.
DigiTimes is reporting that BlackBerry has seen its order visibility extend to 2-3 quarters, up from its previous one-quarter orders. Sources have told the publication that the company plans on releasing three to four additional smartphones in the second half of 2013. Shipments of both the Z10 and Q10 have helped the company with maintaining one million units per month. The Q5 will be one of those smartphones and is expected to go on sale in July and is expected to do well in the low-end smartphone market.
The company has also been rumored to be releasing a 5-inch phablet called the BlackBerry A10, which is expected to look like a larger Z10 and launch some time in November. That leaves one or two devices left for the remainder of the year. There haven't been any major leaks on what either of the devices may be, and it could be be anybody's guess whether they will be QWERTY-based or touchscreen-based or hybrids.
