14 DAY TRIAL // Canadian mobile phone maker BlackBerry is still aiming at the release of four smartphones in the not too distant future, with two of them aimed at the high-end of the market and two destined for the entry-level.
The confirmation came along with the company’s announcement regarding its financial performance for the second quarter of the fiscal year 2014.
The leading handset vendor has lost even more ground during the three-month period, and announced that it will send home 4,500 more employees.
Amid low revenue and an increasing competition from rival operating systems and manufacturers, the phone maker is also adjusting its future portfolio.
“As part of the Company's focus on enhancing its financial results, and in response to the increasing competition in the smartphone market, BlackBerry also announced plans to transition its future smartphone portfolio from six devices to four,” the handset vendor said.
“The portfolio will focus on enterprise and prosumer-centric targeted devices, including 2 high-end devices and 2 entry-level devices in all-touch and QWERTY models.”
No specific info on what these handsets will be all about has been provided as of now, but the announcement comes in line with the latest reports on four BlackBerry smartphones still being en route to the market.
BlackBerry also announced that its latest high-end handset, the Z30, will become its new flagship device, and that the older BlackBerry Z10 will be re-tiered to make it available for a wider range of users, including entry-level audiences.
"We are implementing the difficult, but necessary operational changes announced today to address our position in a maturing and more competitive industry, and to drive the company toward profitability,” Thorsten Heins, president and chief cxecutive officer of BlackBerry, said
“Going forward, we plan to refocus our offering on our end-to-end solution of hardware, software and services for enterprises and the productive, professional end user. This puts us squarely on target with the customers that helped build BlackBerry into the leading brand today for enterprise security, manageability and reliability."
BlackBerry is set to announce its full financial results for the second quarter of fiscal year 2014 on September 27, 2013.