Blackberry bounces back with Android phone, targets 10% market share

Blackberry Mobile Nigeria on Monday unveiled Blackberry KEY2 LE, an Android version of Blackberry smartphone in the Nigerian market.

The re-born icon Blackberry brand is being sponsored by Ngilex Mobile Ltd.

Speaking during the unveiling in Lagos, the Chief Executive Officer, Ngilex, Mr Kingsley Obaji, said that with the Blackberry KEY2 LE, the company was targeting 10 per cent market share in Nigeria by end of 2019.

Obaji said that Nigeria was 7th in the world in terms of cell phone usage; hence, the Nigerian smartphone market had to be taken seriously.

He said that Blackberry was ready for the competition in the market, as it had the best product that would enable it become the leader in the smartphone market in a couple of years.

According to him, Ngilex Mobile wants Blackberry phones to be organic, to be part of Nigerian smartphone business; hence, is looking at what the market demands.

“Nigerian market demands the best. The market is large; the Nigerian users are smart and looking for better options.

“We are looking at capturing some five per cent to 10 per cent market share within the next year and this requires a lot of efforts in marketing and outreach, ‘’ he said.

The Ngilex boss said that the all-new Blackberry smartphones brought together iconic Blackberry features; with new experience that included dual-SIM, dual-rear camera, more intelligent keyboard, extended battery life and improved privacy controls.

He said that the Blackberry KEY2 LE ran the latest Android 8.1 Oreo operating system and provided access to millions of applications in the Google Play store.

Obaji said that Nigeria was the first country in Africa to receive and market the Blackberry KEY2 LE smartphone.

He said that the KEY2 LE came at a time when the Nigerian market was looking for a different smartphone option.

According to him, the company brings values of productivity, reliability and security to the next level.

“Talking about productivity, the BlackBerry KEY2 LE has all the features you need to manage your work, travel, and personal life on the go.

“This includes support for dual personal accounts and business ready software that makes it easier to manage all aspects of your business and personal life.

“The BlackBerry KEY2 LE is the first BlackBerry with dual account management built in to enable you to separately manage both personal and professional social media profiles on apps like Facebook and Instagram.

“All Blackberry devices we are bringing into Nigeria are dual SIM enable and will support dual WhatsApp and other apps that require unique numbers.

“In Nigeria, most cell phone users are carrying multiple phones on multiple carriers. You can have these lines on a single device, while avoiding carrying the power bank that most users are used to here in Nigeria, ” he said.

Obaji said that the phone came with BlackBerry Hub, which brought all your messages into one consolidated place – including emails, texts and messages from almost any social media account; including WhatsApp.

He said that for reliability, the phone had power to get one through the day with enhanced battery features.

“The BlackBerry KEY2 LE features a powerful and efficient Qualcomm Snapdragon processor and battery that can stay powered through a full day and often into a second day of use (22 hours of mixed usage).

“With contextual battery reminder, the BlackBerry KEY2 LE will learn from your daily charging habits and calendar appointments to recommend when to charge.

“This is to ensure you have the battery power to get through important meetings, trips, and events. Never get caught out again with suddenly needing to charge before going flat.

“Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 enables up to 50 per cent charge in just 36 minutes. Turbo Charge your battery and get power fast, to do more, when you need it most.

“The BlackBerry KEY2 LE includes enhanced security and built-in privacy features right from the start,’’ he said.

The Vice President, Ngilex Mobile Ltd., Thomas Larson, said that the Blackberry KEY2 LE experience was different, compared with many smartphone options in the market.

Larson said that the phone combined the best of professional and personal use and the price could not be matched.

“All our phones come with standard one-year warranty provided by McDorsey Services Company Ltd., ‘’ he said. (NAN)