BlackBerry does not see Xiaomi as a competitor

Xiaomi and Obi are seen as rivals by many firms in emerging markets, but BlackBerry CEO John Chen does not see it as a major threat.

BlackBerry does not see Xiaomi as a competitor Picture 1

Xiaomi and Obi attacked the smartphone market with very competitive prices and reasonable specifications. Chinese phone company - Xiaomi is known for selling hundreds of thousands of smartphones within minutes after opening the sale, this also happens in India.

BlackBerry CEO John Chen said the company does not see Xiaomi and Obi as competitors because both companies focus on the low-end market and do not pose a major threat to the company. He also said that the company's equipment does not lose its appeal to customers despite many cheaper choices from rivals. For example, Z3 has an attractive price for all the "features and benefits" it offers. At about $ 250, the BlackBerry Z3 is the cheapest device with no contract. Its specifications compete with most mid-range smartphones while providing full experience from new BlackBerry software.

In response to the attack from Xiaomi and Obi especially in India, BlackBerry has reduced the prices of devices such as Z30, Z10, Q5, 9720 and 9320. CEO Chen said India is still an important market for with them, in addition, they did not transfer the market too easily to rivals in South Asia.

BlackBerry has changed its approach to markets recently. The company no longer meets all segments by launching many devices during the year. This year, BlackBerry has released Z3, which sells very well in emerging markets due to its competitive price. Later this month, the company will launch its first high-end device ( BlackBerry PassPort ) for the year and the second-highest-end device is expected in October.