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The launch in India follows the global launch of the new operating system and two devices — Z10 and Q10 — powered by the new platform on January 30. The company has also re-christened itself as 'BlackBerry' from Research In Motion earlier.
A quick look at the pricing suggests the Z10 will directly target Apple’s consumer base. For instance, a 16GB iPhone5 is priced at around Rs 45,000. (BLACKBERRY Z10 VS THE REST)
However, it will be a tough match against the competitively priced Samsung and Nokia smartphones. Samsung’s SIII is selling at about Rs 30,000 for 16 GB, while Nokia’s Lumia 920 is priced at around Rs 38,200.
Analysts, however, feel it is not just a pricing game. "Since this is one of the most high profile launches from Blackberry, we were expecting that the positioning will be in the premium range. Besides, the company has said market share is not important. They are focusing on profitable growth. With one or two devices, you cannot gain market share. What will also matter is the app ecosystem that BB has come up with," said Anshul Gupta, principal research analyst at Gartner.
The Z10 will be available in over 2,000 retail outlets across 50 cities in India and will support carriers respective 3G or HSPA+ networks, including connectivity support for global roaming. The device will be available in white and black.
The new BlackBerry 10 smartphone features a 1.5 GHz dual core processor with 2GB RAM, 16GB internal storage, and an expandable memory card slot that supports up to 64GB of additional storage. Its features includes a micro HDMI out port for presentations, and sensors such NFC (near field communications) to support mobile payments and the exchange of information with a tap of the smartphone. It also has a removable battery.
“Without a doubt, the Z10 is among the most important BlackBerry launches in the history of the Indian smartphone industry. With BlackBerry 10, we have redesigned, re-engineered and reinvented BlackBerry to create a new and unique mobile computing experience,” said Sunil Dutt, managing director for India at BlackBerry.
