14 DAY TRIAL // While everyone is talking about the so-called BlackBerry Mercury, which is supposed to be officially unveiled at Mobile World Congress (MWC) on February 25, information about a different BlackBerry-branded smartphone has just surfaced online.
The unannounced device goes by the code name BBC100-1 and, unlike the Mercury which will be released by Chinese company TLC, it will be launched on the market by PT BB Merah Putih.
Back in September, BlackBerry announced a device software licensing agreement with joint venture PT BB Merah Putih. Under this agreement, the joint venture can source, distribute and promote BlackBerry-branded devices powered by Android operating system.
However, the agreement only refers to Indonesia, at least that's what we believe from the information we got until now. Basically, this means that the new smartphone will be released in Indonesia, though we don't rule out the possibility of a global rollout later on.
A mid-range device probably aimed at emerging markets
According to Roland Quandt, the BBC100-1 is a mid-range Android smartphone with decent specs. The phone would be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 processor, coupled with 4GB of RAM and 32GB of internal memory.
Furthermore, the BlackBerry-branded phone sports a 5.5-inch display that supports HD (720p) resolution. On the back, the phone packs a 13-megapixel camera with LED flash, while in the front there's a secondary 8-megapixel camera for selfies and video calls.
The BBC100-1 will drain energy from a 3,000 mAh battery and should offer dual-SIM support as well. No information about price and availability have been leaked yet, but it's unlikely that we will see this particular device next month at the MWC 2017 exhibition.
The device seems to be aimed at emerging markets, so it could be released in Indonesia and other Asian markets like India and the Philippines. A global model could be announced by TCL, the company that has the right to source, distribute and promote BlackBerry smartphones worldwide.