Recently, an image surfaced online citing a BlackBerry phone which was headed for the Indonesian market. This has now been confirmed to be the BBC100-1, otherwise known as the BlackBerry Aurora – a budget Android smartphone by BlackBerry.
A leaked press image of alleged BlackBerry Aurora has been spotted online
Another press image was released that was identical to the other one that was leaked online as well. Considering that this assumed to be a budget phone, the specs will not seem all that outstanding. The phone is alleged to come with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 chipset and 4GB of RAM along with 32GB of internal storage. It will probably have a 5.5-inch 720p screen as well as a 3,000mAh battery.
The Aurora is also rumoured to be the company’s first ever dual-SIM device. The device is officially going to be introduced by BB Merah Putih, who had announced the device something back in December. The phone is now available for pre-order in a myriad of colours – silver, gold and black. Shopping will start in March.
The specs make the phone out to be very powerful compared to the competition out there, especially in the budget range. It is going to be released with a price tag of $260 in the United States. This is also a good move for the company to try and get into the masses, by outing a very interesting phone like the Aurora. They can capitalize on the high RAM and the large screen, coupled with the brand name as the main USPs. In developing markets like Indonesia, it is sure to make a mark.
It will also be interesting to see how other manufacturers will use BlackBerry’s name to make new phones, such as with TCL and now BB Merah Putih. This direction will popularize the brand with the public and hopefully get a new lease on life. It will face stiff competition by the likes of Xiaomi and the Moto G, but it will be a competition worth watching.
In any event, the phone looks sleek and eye-catching, so we are quite positive about its market value for when it releases. Fingers crossed for BlackBerry!