In spite of its ongoing financial difficulties, including the failed takeover attempt by Fairfax Financial, BlackBerry (BB -3.14%) has released what is expected to be an extremely high-priced smartphone in collaboration with Porsche Design, the company announced today.
The unbundled cost of BlackBerry's new P'9982 smartphone has not been disclosed, but will likely be in the $2,400 range, according to some company watchers. The P'9981, the first BlackBerry smartphone from the Porsche Design Studio, retailed without a mobile carrier contract for $2,350.
The P'9982, based on BlackBerry's Z10 smartphone with a QWERTY keyboard, features a 4.2-inch screen, 64GB of memory, and runs a customized version of BlackBerry's 10.2 OS, the company said. In addition to its standard stainless-steel construction and hand-wrapped Italian leather back cover, a limited edition "Crocodile model" will be available to the first 500 customers paying what is likely to be an even higher price.
Commenting on the P'9982, BlackBerry's senior vice president of design Alistair Hamilton said, "Every aspect of this smartphone has been purposely designed and built for a powerful premium experience."
According to BlackBerry, the P'9982 will be available on Nov. 21, at "Porsche Design stores, select carriers and retailers around the world," including an exclusive launch event at Harrod's in London.
Founded by Ferdinand Alexander Porsche more than 40 years ago, Porsche Design is a renowned industrial and product design firm with headquarters in Austria.
