The Z30 features a 5in (12.7cm) screen and a relatively large battery, which, the company says, should last more than two days between charges. It is the first product to be released by the Canadian company since it announced last month that it was considering putting itself up for sale. Some analysts have suggested a deal could result in its handset division being shut down.
They say the company's patents, software and cash reserves could make it worth about $5bn (£3.1bn). However, they add the hardware unit itself has "negative value" and any suitor might wish to do a deal in which they did not have to acquire it. "Why would you want to own a platform that is obviously in decline?" asked Colin Gillis, director of research at investment advisers BGC Financial. "Android is clearly number one, Apple's iOS is number two, and now Windows Phone is number three. Blackberry's hardware and operating system themselves are fine, but there's not much more beyond that - it's not a meaningful platform."
According to market-research company IDC, Blackberry accounted for 9.3% of all smartphones shipped to the UK during the first half of the year, thanks in part to interest generated by the launch of its new operating system BB10. But its position elsewhere is much weaker. The company only accounted for 1.7% of all smartphones shipped to the US and 0.1% to China, the world's biggest markets, during the same period, according to IDC.
The announcement of the new handset indicates the company wish to emulate the several Android manufacturers who have found success with larger screens. Samsung and Sony are among the companies that have recently unveiled new so-called "phablets".
Source: BBC News
