BlackBerry Limited released a new, low-cost smartphone specifically designed for Indonesia on Tuesday in order to get more involved in Asian and South American markets.
The smartphone, the BlackBerry Z3, was introduced at the Ritz-Carlton hotel in the nation's capital, Jakarta, according to Toronto Star.
The phone comes with a lower price tag than BlackBerry's Q10 and Z10 devices. Analysts said BlackBerry has not been as successful in Indonesia because it didn't have a lower-priced phone.
"The Jakarta Edition was designed specifically with our Indonesian customers in mind," said John Chen, chief executive of BlackBerry.
Chen also said that the release of the Z3 will help make the BlackBerry brand cool again, The New York Times reported.
"BlackBerry has new technology and is financially stable," he said. "I think that's got to be the first step - to explain that. When people have no concerns about BlackBerry the company, then the product will be cool again."
The company plans to sell the phone to six other countries, which include Vietnam, India, the Philippines and Malaysia, Toronto Star reported.
Having once held a strong position in the smartphone market in Indonesia, BlackBerry has encountered trouble with competition from Apple, Samsung and other rival companies.
The Z3 was produced from a partnership between BlackBerry and the Foxconn technology group of Taiwan, according to the The New York Times. Chen said the partnership allows BlackBerry to compete in emerging markets, and that if sales were successful, "it could be a sign of things to come."
25,000 units will have the words "Jakarta Edition" engraved on the back. The phone will be priced at 2.2 million rupiah in Indonesia, or almost $190.
Special applications for Indonesian users are featured in the phone, such as travel services, local banking and a directory of halal food. The Z3 works in the Indonesian national language. It also works in regional dialects, such as Javanese.
