BlackBerry Z3 smartphone leaks ahead of likely Mobile World Congress debut

Shawn Knight

Posts: 15,256   +192
Staff member

A render for a new BlackBerry smartphone recently hit the web. The handset, dubbed the BlackBerry Z3 and codenamed Jakarta, could be one of several handsets built in collaboration with Foxconn.

The Z3 is rumored to consist of a lower-end 5-inch display operating at 950 x 540 pixels. It’ll be powered by a dual-core 1.2GHz chip alongside 1.5GB of system memory and 8GB of internal flash storage. A rear camera will snap images at 5-megapixels while a front-facing shooter is rated for just 1.1-megapixels.

blackberry z3 jakarta mwc foxconn leaked blackberry z3 mobile world congress 2014

The smartphone appears with a textured backside, a trend that’s been made popular as of late thanks to Samsung’s recent Galaxy releases. It’ll draw power from a reasonably-sized 2,650mAh battery but otherwise, not much else is known about the mystery handset at this hour.

Based on these specifications, it’s clear that the Z3 won’t be a direct sequel to the Z30 handset that’s already on the market. Instead, it will be seen as a cheaper alternative – that is, if BlackBerry decides to market it in that manner. It could just as easily be pushed as a standalone device with no ties to the Z30.

The Z3 is expected to be one of several new BlackBerry phones on display at Mobile World Congress in less than a week. Foxconn chairman Terry Gou revealed as much during an interview late last month after it was revealed in December that the two companies had signed a five-year partnership to develop and manufacture smartphones.

Permalink to story.

 
Blackberry might just regain a respectable toehold in the smartphone universe as a powerhouse alternative to Apple, Android and Windows in the same manner that T-Mobile is now upstaging Verizon, At&T and Sprint. Innovative and interesting ideas will always win over new customers.
 
Maybe blackberry should do the alleged/rumored nokia move...release an android phone series...
 
BlackBerry Z3 reeks of "too little, too late." I wouldn't be surprised if the Z3 will be the last handset ever released by RIM.
 
Back