CES is a major event in the tech industry and the scene for some of the biggest new product launches.
And Chinese electronics company TCL was expected to reveal a new BlackBerry handset during the event, but so far the device maker just released a press statement which details its future strategy and business model.
TCL revealed its portfolio now includes the Alcatel and BlackBerry brands, but also products like the entry-consumer, best-in-class enterprise, connected (IoT) and emerging segments.
TCL has recently acquired the rights to design, manufacture and sell smartphones under the BlackBerry brand. At CES 2017 the company was supposed to announce the BlackBerry Mercury – an Android Nougat handset with a physical keyboard. However, it seems that the product is currently in the final stages of development, so only a prototype was shown during the event.
The company promises the next-gen BlackBerry handset will feature three key components: security, productivity and reliability. TCL boasts the device will feature the “most complete end-to-end smartphone security available on Android”.
Other handsets coming later in 2017 will help TCL answer consumer demands better.
“To meet these growing demands, both carriers and retailers need a more diverse product offering, requiring portfolio efficiencies that were previously unavailable from a single manufacturer – until now.”
Now the BlackBerry Mercury which was teased in an official clip should arrive with a 4.5-inch touchscreen display alongside a QWERTY keyboard. The phone should take advantage of a Snapdragon 625 working in concert with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internals storage. Other specs might consist of a 3,400 mAh battery and Android 7.0 Nougat out of the box.
TCL already launched two BlackBerry handsets, the DTEK50 and DTEK60, but the Mercury is said to be the last one to be designed in house by the Canadian company.
