Our friends from BlackBerry has recently announced its partnership with MemoXpress in the Philippines. Starting February 5, the said retailer will start selling BlackBerry Products including the new BlackBerry Classic.
BlackBerry Classic is touted as a redefined version of its iconic line of QWERTY devices – particularly the Bold 9900 – with updated 3.5-inch touch screen display with 294 dpi and Corning Gorilla Glass 3. Below are the striking features of BlackBerry Classic:
- BlackBerry® Keyboard& Trackpad – The QWERTY keyboard has stood the test of time as the iconic BlackBerry feature that users know and trust. Crafted for optimal speed and accuracy, the BlackBerry Classic’s QWERTY keyboard gives users the control and confidence to communicate quickly and clearly using one hand with a trackpad and classic navigation keys.
- BlackBerry® Browser –The BlackBerry 10 web browser is amazingly fast and astoundingly beautiful. That’s why HTML5TEST.com rates it amongst the top mobile browsers for web fidelity.* Access your favorite online content as it was meant to be seen, faster than ever before and with unlimited browser tabs.
- Screen & Battery – The BlackBerry Classic offers a form factor optimized for power communicators with a 3.5-inch touch screen display, 294 dpi HD resolution and Corning® Gorilla® Glass 3 for greater durability. The BlackBerry Classic also offers a large battery capacity and state-of-the-art battery optimization software. With up to 22 hours of battery power, you can be confident that BlackBerry Classic will be ready to deliver results when you need it.**
- Premium Components – The device is built with durable materials mixed with top-of-the-line technology. This includes a 1.5 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon Processor, 2GB RAM, 16GB of device storage (expandable by up to 128GB via SD), and a 2MP front- and 8MP rear-facing camera with enhanced optics and upgraded imaging sensors.
- BlackBerry® 10 OS 10.1 – The BlackBerry Classic comes preloaded with the BlackBerry 10.3.1 operating system, offering a fresh look that incorporates updated icons and an instant action bar so that each user’s most commonly accessed functions are in the center of their screen. With this new operating system, users gain access to powerful features, including:
- BlackBerry® Blend – BlackBerry Blend brings messaging and content that is on your BlackBerry smartphone to your computer and tablet. Get instant message notifications, read and respond to your work and personal email, BBM™ and text messages, and access your documents, calendar, contacts and media in real time on whatever device you are on, powered by your BlackBerry.
- BlackBerry® Assistant – The BlackBerry Assistant is BlackBerry’s first digital assistant and can be used with voice and text commands to help users manage work and personal email, contacts, calendar and other native BlackBerry 10 applications. It’s the only smartphone assistant on the market today that can access both personal and work content in your work perimeter. BlackBerry Assistant intelligently determines how to respond to you based on how you interact with it – if you type, it responds silently, if you speak, it speaks back and if you activate over Bluetooth, it speaks back with additional context because it assumes you might not have access to the screen.
- Dual app storefronts for a wealth of professional and popular apps:
- BlackBerry World – BlackBerry World showcases essential productivity apps for business professionals looking to drive efficient communications and collaboration.
- Amazon Appstore – Preloaded on BlackBerry Classic, users can access popular Android apps and games through the Amazon Appstore including Candy Crush Saga, Pinterest, Kindle for Android and Cut the Rope 2. Users can also scan Android apps for malware and privacy issues prior to installation using BlackBerry Guardian.
- BlackBerry® Hub – The one place to manage all your conversations – email, texts, BBM, phone calls, social media and more. You can even glance at what’s next in your calendar. It’s always available with a single swipe to help you stay organized, in control and on top of all your conversations.
During the event, BlackBerry Managing Director for the Philippines and Singapore, Cameron Vernest said, “BlackBerry Classic delivers the unique combination of our BlackBerry QWERTY keyboard, physical buttons and a trackpad to aid navigation and control – all powered by the updated BlackBerry® 10 OS 10.3.1. The resulting user experience will make BlackBerry Classic a go-to productivity tool for customers here in the Philippines.”
Retailing for PhP20,990 for cash transactions, the new BlackBerry Classic has 3 times faster browser, 60 percent more screen space, 50 percent longer battery life and wide-array of application choices via BlackBerry World and the Amazon AppStore.
This new device isn’t exactly for everyone, but I highly believe that for people who are still solid fans and users of the BlackBerry ecosystem will find this wildly interesting.
What do you guys think about this new gadget from BlackBerry? Would you boldly try to embrace BlackBerry 10 installed in BlackBerry classic? Do you think that it’s decently priced at PhP20,990? Let us know your thoughts.
Giancarlo Viterbo is a Filipino Technology Journalist, blogger and Editor of gadgetpilipinas.net, He is also a Geek, Dad and a Husband. He knows a lot about washing the dishes, doing some errands and following instructions from his boss on his day job. Follow him on twitter: @gianviterbo and @gadgetpilipinas.
