Tech
Embattled Blackberry set to stop phone production
Mobile phone makers BlackBerry has announced that it plans to stop phone production as the struggling company continues to focus on its software and security products.
This is far from the end of BlackBerry devices, the production of which will be outsourced to third-party manufacturers — as was the case with the company’s recent DTEK 50, a clone of Alcatel’s Idol 4 with BlackBerry branding.
“The company plans to end all internal hardware development and will outsource that function to partners,” said CEO John Chen in a statement. Elsewhere he stated: “We are reaching an inflection point with our strategy. Our financial foundation is strong, and our pivot to software is taking hold.”
Read also: FACEBOOK’S GROWING INFLUENCE: An Insight into the Future of Technology
This isn’t surprising news considering BlackBerry’s on-going struggle in the mobile market.
According to estimates from Gartner, the company claimed just 0.1 per cent of the market in the second quarter, equating to sales of some 400,400 units.
The last BlackBerry phone manufactured by the company was the Priv, the company’s first Android-powered device, released November last year.
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