BlackBerry CEO unveils new smartphone
ORLANDO, Florida — BlackBerry maker Research In Motion has unveiled a lower-cost BlackBerry that is designed for emerging markets.
CEO Thorsten Heins said Tuesday that the Q5 device will be available this summer. It is RIM’s third smartphone to run the new BlackBerry 10 system. It will have a physical keyboard.
Heins is speaking at the company’s annual three-day conference in Orlando, Florida. RIM unveiled new, versatile BlackBerrys this year after delays allowed Apple and others to dominate.
The BlackBerry, pioneered in 1999, had been the dominant smartphone for on-the-go business people and consumers before the iPhone debuted in 2007 and showed that phones can handle much more than email and calls. RIM faced numerous delays modernizing its operating system.
Research In Motion Ltd. continues to do well in many places overseas.
RIM’s stock fell 10 cents, or less than 1 percent, to $15.78 in morning trading Tuesday.
