Canadian smartphone maker BlackBerry plans to start selling its first-ever Android powered phone in South Africa – the ‘Priv’.
BlackBerry, in a statement, said the Priv is expected to be available in South Africa next week through MTN, Vodacom and Cell C.
The carriers are expected to confirm the pricing, said BlackBerry. However, the Priv device retails for $699 (R11 407) in countries such as the US.
The company’s creation of the Priv smartphone has come after years of decline for the BlackBerry brand.
BlackBerry’s share of the global smartphone operating system market has decreased from 4.9% in 2012 to 0.3% in 2015, according to the Independent Data Corporation (IDC).
Android, meanwhile, made up over 80% of all smartphones in 2015, according to the IDC.
BlackBerry’s Android phone then has features such as a virtual keyboard and physical keyboard, a 5.4-inch dual-curve OLED display, an 18MP camera and a Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 processor.
Fin24tech
