Looks like the theoretical BlackBerry rebound we've all been hearing about may actually happen, at least to an extent.
The company has announced its first quarter-on-quarter increase in revenue for over two years, representing a potentially huge change for a company that has long been thought of as dead and gone.
The company reported revenue of $548 million for the three months before November, which is a 12 percent increase on revenue from the last quarter. It's important to note that revenue was lower than the same period last year, but losses were only at $89 million, compared with losses of $148 million from a year ago.
According to CEO John Chen, the increase in revenue is largely due to an increase in momentum in enterprise software. Of course, at least part of the revenue is also likely due to the new BlackBerry Priv, the company's first Android smartphone, which sells for $700 and reportedly sold out on Amazon only a few hours after it was launched. There have also been reports suggesting the device sold out at Walmart and Best Buy.
"The initial 30 days of sales has been quite positive," said Chen in a conference call with investors. "I don't want to overhype things. It's an expensive phone."
According to BlackBerry, the Priv combines BlackBerry security with the 1.6 million apps that are available on Android phones through the Google Play store. This is a big step for BlackBerry, which has long stood with its own operating system on its smartphones.
The company hopes to sell around 5 million handsets each year, but that has yet to be seen. At $700 each, the device is a similar price as competing flagships by Apple and Android phone makers. While the company sold 100,000 fewer phones compared with the previous quarter, it made more money, considering the average selling price went up to $315 from $240.
Via: BBC
