TCL Communication Promises At Least Two New BlackBerry Smartphones Coming In 2018

Also announces U.S. availability of BlackBerry Motion and an all-new variant of BlackBerry KEYone for select markets in Asia and Europe

News provided by

TCL Communication

Jan 09, 2018, 08:30 ET

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Building upon the successful global launch of the award-winning BlackBerry KEYone and introduction of BlackBerry Motion more recently to select markets, TCL Communication is preparing for additional portfolio expansion in 2018. This begins with the GSM unlocked BlackBerry Motion coming to the U.S. market beginning January 12, which will be available online at Amazon and BestBuy.com for $449.99 USD. Later in Q1 2018, an all-new color variant and dual SIM version of BlackBerry KEYone – Bronze Edition – will be released in select markets across Asia, Europe and the Middle East.

The all-new BlackBerry Motion is officially on-sale in the U.S. starting January 12.

"It has been less than one year since we formally introduced the world to our all-new BlackBerry smartphones and we've seen very strong renewed interest thanks to devices like BlackBerry KEYone and BlackBerry Motion," said Alain Lejeune, Global General Manager for BlackBerry Mobile. "With new BlackBerry smartphones from TCL Communication now available in over 50 countries around the world, we have a solid foundation to continue building upon our portfolio in the new year. This means customers can expect to see at least two new BlackBerry smartphones from us later this year."

"BlackBerry phones are the world's most secure Android smartphones because we've designed security into every possible piece of software," said Alex Thurber, SVP and GM of Mobility Solutions, BlackBerry. "We are excited that TCL Communication has decided to bring the BlackBerry Motion with its outstanding battery life and its touchscreen interface to the United States, in addition to introducing a dual-SIM variant of the highly regarded BlackBerry KEYone for global markets. In 2018 we will be working closely with TCL Communication to roll out Android 8.0 Oreo™, including additional security and other features, to continue to expand the overall BlackBerry smartphone user experience."

BLACKBERRY KEYONE BRONZE EDITION
Since the global rollout of BlackBerry KEYone, which began in Q2 2017, TCL Communication has launched the device in over 50 countries worldwide, including markets in North America, Latin America, Europe, Africa and Asia. In fact, the global rollout continues with variants of BlackBerry KEYone newly released in Mexico and South Korea. This includes launching with key partners like AT&T, Sprint, Rogers, Bell, TELUS, Amazon, Best Buy, Vodafone, MediaMarkt, Orange, Carphone Warehouse, JD.com, Telefonica and many more.

With the positive global reception of the BlackBerry KEYone, TCL Communication is adding the all-new BlackBerry KEYone Bronze Edition to the series. This limited edition model features a matte bronze finish and adds dual-SIM compatibility for select global markets. Ideal for corporate users or frequent travelers, the BlackBerry KEYone Bronze Edition also has 4GB of memory and 64GB of internal storage. Additionally, it comes packed with all the security, productivity and reliability features that have made BlackBerry KEYone such a distinctly different and popular smartphone. More information on the regional availability of BlackBerry KEYone Bronze Edition will be shared shortly, including market availability and pricing.

BLACKBERRY MOTION
The launch of BlackBerry Motion further diversifies the BlackBerry Mobile smartphone portfolio offering IP67 water and dust resistance and a new anti-scratch display technology for its 5.5-inch Full-HD screen. It also comes with the largest battery ever in a BlackBerry smartphone (4,000mAh), offering 32+ hours of mixed use. When a charge is required, Qualcomm® Quick Charge™ 3.0 enables up to a 50 percent charge in roughly 40 minutes using a USB Type-C charger. Powered by Android™ 7.1 Nougat, this all-new BlackBerry smartphone gives customers access to the entire Google Play™ store and will receive monthly Android security updates. It will be upgraded to Android Oreo later this year.

New to this latest BlackBerry Smartphone is an improved customizable Convenience Key that brings even greater functionality and context to the quick-access physical key – unique to BlackBerry smartphones. This feature now includes four customizable profiles for Home, Car, Office and User, allowing for three different shortcut options that can be triggered by a home WiFi network, in-car Bluetooth, meetings that are synced to BlackBerry Hub or apps that are most commonly used.

For more information about the BlackBerry Mobile smartphones from TCL Communication, please visit www.BlackBerryMobile.com and come see us at CES 2018 located in Central Hall, Stand 12929.

About TCL Communication
TCL Communication Technology Holdings Limited (TCL Communication) designs, manufactures and markets an expanding portfolio of mobile and internet products and services under three key brands – TCL, Alcatel and BlackBerry - with its portfolio of products currently sold in over 160 countries throughout North America, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific. Incorporated in Hong Kong, TCL Communication operates nine R&D centers worldwide, employing thousands across the globe. For more information, please visit www.tclcom.com.

TCL is a registered trademark of TCL Corporation. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Alcatel is a trademark of Nokia used under license by TCL Communication.

Trademarks, including but not limited to BLACKBERRY and EMBLEM Design are the trademarks or registered trademarks of BlackBerry Limited, used under license, and the exclusive rights to such trademarks are expressly reserved. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. BlackBerry is not responsible for any third-party products or services.

SOURCE TCL Communication