Ahead of BlackBerry Z10′s launch date in India, the debate no longer seems to be if it is a thumbs-up or a thumbs-down. The buildup during the weeks after the BB10 launch in the advanced markets has settled that debate for sure – BlackBerry’s comeback has looked imminent, almost.
As of 23 February, Z10 has reportedly quietly landed on some e-tailing sites for an India price of Rs 45,000, which is clearly higher than Rs 39,000 expected earlier.
As far as the India launch is concerned, it’s no longer about convincing potential users about the BB10′s or Z10′s capabilities. That task is done and over. Now, it’s going to be all about pricing the device right.
AP
Will a premium pricing of Rs 45,000 help position it as the ‘CEO’s new device?’ What if Indian CEOs find that a little too greedy of BlackBerry? Answering that question successfully is where the challenge lies for the marketers.
A question of greater interest to analysts now is how deep, wide and far this new success will running. More pointedly, does BB10 give BlackBerry the firepower to take the might of Android and iOS head-on? And specifically, will it be ‘sold out’ in India just as it was in the US and Europe?
The biggest thing that could work – and already is working – to BlackBerry’s advantage, is the brand value, which remains quite strong. And with the channels still in place it won’t be too hard for the brand to make a comeback – the possibility of a midway goof-up now looks remote.
Yet, the speed at which bookings flowed in the UK and Canada for BlackBerry’s Z10 device sketched a new angle of analyst scepticism. Did that indicate a demand-positive or a supply-limitation, it was asked.
In the meantime, a good sign is that there have been no bad signs so far. BlackBerry has produced a next-generation OS, showcased a cool new device and done a well-received launch. The’cool factor’could prove critically useful when it comes to winning new customers while serving the die-hard texting needs of old loyalists in a much better way.
Z10′s features are quite comparable with the likes of iPhone 5, Galaxy SIII and Lumia 920. The camera is as good or better and so is the screen resolution or even the specs-2GB RAM instead of 1GB with comparable models from most of the other makers. Only the screen size seems to be a tad smaller, but not significantly so, at 4.2 inches.
BlackBerry’s recipe for a success looks like this: offer all the contemporary smartphone features to draw new users but also make the email feature-it’s core strength-better than the rest. All, powered by a new-generation OS.
Could that be the new CEO’s device in the making?
The availability of a wide range of apps or the lack of somewould also play a key role in determining BlackBerry’s long-term success as would a device roadmap supported by some competitive if not aggressive pricing. And of course, it will have to keep fingers crossed that the competition doesn’t launch anything disruptive anytime soon enough.
IANS
