Blackberry Q5 |

BBM For Android, iOS – BlackBerry Messenger for iPhone Discussed during BB Q5 Launch

The Managing Director of BlackBerry India has stated the company is committed to the end of summer schedule for launching the BBM services on the Android and iOS platforms to make it available for iPhone. Such a move will introduce the BlackBerry instant messaging service on a much wider scale given the sheer number of Android and iOS based devices currently swamping the market. The revelation was made during the launch of the newest BlackBerry handset, the Q5 in India. So it’s the end of September that we can look forward to having BBM on Android and iOS devices, which comes to around the end of summer period for the North Americans or maybe even a few weeks after summer.

Earlier, it was none other than the CEO of BlackBerry, Thorsten Heins who had also sought to soothe consumer nerves at a recent earnings call stating the company is well on track to ensure BBM expands its presence to the iOS as well as Android devices. The CEO too could not commit to any specific dates but mentioned it would be available at the app store of the company by the end of summer. Worth mentioning here, BBM is a crucial part of the Canadian company’s business package with experts even pegging the app to have far greater earning potential than what the company can achieve by selling handsets.

However, BBM isn’t alone in the instant messaging segment. One of the most recognized rivals of BBM is WhatsApp. This application is a cross system messaging app and has recently been in the news for going from paid app to free app for the iOS. Earlier WhatsApp used to charge one dollar for downloads but will now be charging only after one year. The latest policy is same as is prevalent with the Android version of WhatsApp.

BlackBerry too is expected to follow a similar pricing strategy with its BBM service, and will be available free from the app store. This no doubt will ensure the service gets the maximum exposure that BlackBerry could have been expecting. The company could then be seen charging users for using premium features such as video calling, voice calling and BIS.

BlackBerry Q5 is Coming in a Week

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BlackBerry’s budget-friendly Q5, launched at the BlackBerry Live conference in Orlando last month, is hitting the shelves in about a week. Major retailers have set the release dates as July 1^st and July 3^rd, depending on their pre-order dates, stock availability, and so on.

U.K. retailer Phones4U, the first to confirm that it will offer Q5, has set a July 3 release date, and is currently taking pre-orders with major networks. It is offering the handset free for a two-year contract costing £21 per month, including a 100-minute talk time, unlimited text and 100MB data on Vodafone.

Carphone Warehouse is releasing it on July 1^st. It is also taking pre-orders, offering the device free on contracts beginning at £21 per month. What’s more, Carphone is offering the SIM-free version at £319.95, said to be the cheapest till date. Online retailer Unlocked Mobiles says that it has the SIM-free black version, while the white version will be available from July 1^st. It is offering the SIM-free handset for £334.98. Retailer Clove has listed BB Q5 for pre-order at £330, planning to offer the black version on July 1^st.

BB Q5 is the third in the series of BlackBerry’s smartphones featuring the BB10 operating system. It features BlackBerry’s characteristic physical keyboard, a feature that distinguishes BlackBerry devices from iPhones and Android devices. The Q5 features a 3.1-inch 720p LCD display, 2GB RAM, 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 8GB storage, 5MP rear camera and 2MP front camera. The Q10, the higher-end version, differs only by a few features, such as the 16GB storage, 8MP rear camera and LED display.

The Q5 launched in Dubai last week and is likely to arrive in India in July. It sold for about $400 in Dubai and is expected to cost under 25000 INR in India.

Blackberry Q5 to Release in Q3 July, Set at £349.98 price

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Blackberry Q5 is not as pricy as Blackberry Q10.It was announced by Blackberry as an affordable smartphone operating on the BB10 platform. However, as its price tag surfaces at EE, many BB fans may not consider it affordable. Unlocked-Mobiles reports that Blackberry Q5 will be priced at £349.98, SIM-free. This price tag coincides with that of Nokia Lumia 820, iPhone 4 (8GB), Motorola Razr HD and HTC One X+.

Blackberry Q5 is now available for pre-order at EE with different tariff plans, including 4G options. Blackberry considered Q5 as the mid-tier alternative to Blackberry Q10.

BB Q5 is expected to release in Q3 2013, around July, and is expected to go on sales in the UK on July 1. However, a few rumors also direct to July 15 as the release date of Blackberry Q5 in the UK.

Blackberry Q5 packs a QWERTY keyboard along with a capacitive touchscreen (IPS LCD). It features Dual-Core Qualcomm Snapdragon 1.2 GHz processor, 2GB RAM, 8GB internal memory, 5MP rear-facing camera (2592*1944 pixels) with LED flash and autofocus. A front-facing 2MP camera of 720p is also present in Blackberry Q5. Though runs on BB10 platform, it misses out several integral specs of Blackberry Q10.

BB Q5 is to be released in three different shades of white, black and red. The anticipated beast packs 2180 mAh battery. If you are looking for a BB10 smartphone that does not drive you back at £600, you may consider giving a look at Blackberry Q5. Q5 provides an extendable external microUSD card slot of up to 32 GB.

Blackberry has its own unique and prestigious position in the smartphone market. But BB is still considered a choice of deep-pocketed people, whilst Android smartphones are occupying the spotlight with their innovative specs and cheap prices. So, BB certainly needs to implement some distinct marketing strategies to retain its power.