Pricing could decide BlackBerry 10 fate in India
Though the software and the hardware, along with the security features, are among the best available in the smartphone market today, sales may depend largely on the pricing in a market that is renowned for being cost conscious.
The two devices that BlackBerry announced, based on the new OS called BB10, are titled Z10 and Q10. The latter still retains the Qwerty keypad. The BB Z10 is likely to be launched in India by the last week of February, while the Q10 will be available globally only in April. A BlackBerry India spokesperson told FE, “Pricing in India will only be announced on the day of the launch.”
The smartphone market in India is still primarily in the sub R20,000-price bracket. Even for BlackBerry, more than 90% of the devices they sell in India belong to that category.
“Definitely in markets like India and Indonesia, the low to mid-tier segment offers the highest growth and opportunities in the smartphone market,” said Anshul Gupta, analyst, consumer technology and markets, Gartner. Globally, when the devices are priced higher, the mobile operators tend to subsidise the upfront payment through tariff plans across two years.
“India is an open market. Tie ups with the
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