Mr. Ron Louks reports

BLACKBERRY UNVEILS THE BLACKBERRY CLASSIC IN WHITE

BlackBerry Ltd. has released a white version of the BlackBerry Classic smart phone. The no-nonsense smart phone is built to meet the needs of productive people who appreciate the speed and accuracy that can be found with a physical QWERTY keyboard. The white-coloured BlackBerry Classic is available this week in Indonesia through authorized distributors, and in Hong Kong through carrier partners csl, 3 Hong Kong and SmarTone, and authorized distributors Broadway Photo Supply Ltd, Fortress, Hong Kong Suning, Chung Yuen Electrical Co. Ltd and Nuance-Watson (HK) Ltd. This new colour option will continue to roll out over the next few weeks on-line and in carrier retail stores across select countries in Asia, Europe and the Middle East.

Ron Louks, president, devices and emerging solutions, at BlackBerry, said, "The introduction of the BlackBerry Classic in white offers yet another colour choice to users who desire a stylish smart phone, yet understand the need for a mobile business tool that keeps them productive and securely manages their information."

Unveiled in December, 2014, BlackBerry Classic upgrades the BlackBerry Bold 9900 experience with:

• Three-times-faster browser;
• 60 per cent more screen space;
• 50-per-cent-longer battery life;
• Greater variety of applications through BlackBerry World storefront and the Amazon Appstore.

Top features of the BlackBerry Classic that drive productivity, communications and collaboration include:

• BlackBerry keyboard and trackpad: The QWERTY keyboard has stood the test of time as the iconic BlackBerry feature that users know and trust. Crafted for optimal speed and accuracy, the BlackBerry Classic's QWERTY keyboard gives users the control and confidence to communicate quickly and clearly using one hand with a trackpad and classic navigation keys.
• BlackBerry browser: The BlackBerry 10 web browser is amazingly fast and astoundingly beautiful. That's why HTML5 Test rates it among the top mobile browsers for Web fidelity. Access your favourite on-line content as it was meant to be seen, faster than ever before and with unlimited browser tabs.
• Screen and battery: The BlackBerry Classic offers a form factor optimized for power communicators with a 3.5-inch touch screen display, 294-dot-per-inch high-definition resolution and Corning Gorilla Glass 3 for greater durability. The BlackBerry Classic also offers a large battery capacity and state-of-the-art battery optimization software. With up to 22 hours of battery power, you can be confident that BlackBerry Classic will be ready to deliver results when you need it.
• Premium design, built to last: The BlackBerry Classic is purpose-built and built to last -- from the outer frame which is cut from a solid block of stainless steel, to the textured back for better grip. The BlackBerry Classic also includes premium components, including a 1.5-gigahertz Qualcomm Snapdragon Processor, two gigabytes of RAM, 16 gigabytes of device storage (expandable by up to 128 gigabytes via uSD), and a two-megapixel front- and eight-megapixel rear-facing camera with enhanced optics and upgraded imaging sensors.
• BlackBerry 10 OS 10.3.1: The BlackBerry Classic comes preloaded with the BlackBerry 10.3.1 operating system, offering a fresh look that incorporates updated icons and an instant action bar so that each user's most commonly accessed functions are in the centre of their screen. With this new operating system, users gain access to powerful features, including:
  • BlackBerry Blend: BlackBerry Blend brings messaging and content that is on your BlackBerry smart phone to your computer and tablet. Get instant message notifications, read and respond to your work and personal e-mail, BBM and text messages, and access your documents, calendar, contacts and media in real time on whatever device you are on, powered by your BlackBerry.
  • BlackBerry Assistant: The BlackBerry Assistant is BlackBerry's first digital assistant and can be used with voice and text commands to help users manage work and personal e-mail, contacts, calendar and other native BlackBerry 10 applications. It's the only smart phone assistant on the market today that can access both personal and work content in your work perimeter. BlackBerry Assistant intelligently determines how to respond to you based on how you interact with it -- if you type, it responds silently, if you speak, it speaks back and if you activate over Bluetooth, it speaks back with additional context because it assumes you might not have access to the screen.
  • Dual app storefronts preloaded for access to a huge selection of apps for work and play:
    • BlackBerry World: BlackBerry World offers essential business and productivity apps for professionals looking to drive efficient communications and collaboration including Box, Evernote, Cisco WebEx Meetings and Documents to Go.
    • Amazon Appstore: Preloaded on BlackBerry Classic, discover and download popular Android apps and games through the Amazon Appstore including Candy Crush Saga, Pinterest, SoundCloud, Kindle and Amazon Shopping.
  • BlackBerry Hub: The one place to manage all your conversations -- e-mail, texts, BBM, phone calls, social media and more. You can even glance at what's next in your calendar. It's always available with a single swipe to help you stay organized, in control and on top of all your conversations.

BlackBerry Classic is built on BlackBerry's renowned secure operating system, with built-in protection against viruses, tampering and data leaks. The BlackBerry Classic is private by default, protecting users with encrypted e-mail, web browsing and BBM.

Availability

The BlackBerry Classic is now available in black through global carriers and on-line through the ShopBlackBerry website and Amazon. The white variant will begin rolling out this week in Hong Kong through authorized distributors, and the United Kingdom through the ShopBlackBerry website and Amazon. Additional country rollouts will follow in the coming weeks, including Italy, Vietnam, Indonesia, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.