BlackBerry recently signed a “long-term licensing agreement” with TCL Communications to design, manufacture, sell and provide customer support for future BlackBerry devices.
Ahead of CES 2017, TCL promised to “unveil an evolutionary first in the mobile industry, which will include the addition of the new BlackBerry brand of smartphones… This view will include a first look at how the BlackBerry brand legacy will live on in a new generation of smartphones.”
imPRESSively designed. distinctly different. #BlackBerryMobile#CES2017 pic.twitter.com/MGvvGXOtvi
— Steve Cistulli (@SteveCistulli) January 3, 2017
Steve Cistulli, president and general manager of TCL Communication in North America, posted a four second teaser video on Twitter what looks to be the next BlackBerry smartphone, which is expected to be the DTEK70 (Mercury). “imPRESSively designed – distinctly different,” said Cistulli in the Tweet.
The next BlackBerry smartphone will feature the iconic physical QWERTY keyboard, curved edges, off-screen navigation buttons, and sport a fingerprint scanner within the spacebar.
Earlier rumours of the Mercury pointed towards the device sporting a 4.5-inch display, 2.0GHz Qualcomm processor, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of internal storage, 18 megapixel camera with an 8 megapixel front-facing secondary.
TCL has a media event scheduled for Wednesday, January 4th at 11:00am and we’ll bring you all the details as it unfolds.
