Most developers attending the Mobile World Congress trade show in Barcelona, Spain, or even watching from afar were probably prepared for the introduction of major products like Samsung's Galaxy S5, but BlackBerry managed to surprise onlookers by launching two new devices of its own.
The Z3 and the Q20 may be primarily aimed at Indonesia and other emerging markets, the company said. They may also be aimed at longtime BlackBerry loyalists. The Q20 in particular got attention for bringing back a QWERTY keyboard and even a trackpad.
Developers on Twitter didn't take long to render their verdict on the prospect of new BlackBerry hardware. Obviously those who still write apps for BlackBerry users were glad to see what they interpreted as a return to form:
New BlackBerry Q20 http://t.co/bNV0kEA9JC after 3 months with the all touch Z10, objectively the 9900 was the better tool. <3the trackpad!
— Tatwi720 (@tatwi720) February 26, 2014
For others, however, BlackBerry's new devices seemed like an about-face after the touchscreen Z10.
So the plan to make @BlackBerry relevant again is to go retro? http://t.co/3dLVBOh6Tk #BacktotheFuture #MobileWorldCongress
— Brothe2000 (@brothe2000) February 25, 2014
More than a few developers seemed content to take a "wait and see" approach with BlackBerry's new smartphones, though some had a few reservations.
Not sure about trackpad & buttons mapping on #BB10.. #Q20 "#BlackBerry Unveils New #BlackBerryQ20 Smartphone - http://t.co/jE0lKwydyq"
— Nagaraj M Shenoy (@NMShenoy) February 25, 2014
Some suggested BlackBerry's future success may not lie in new devices but its mobile OS.
@techcrunch @drizzled Phone Design looking good, but knowing Blackberry the OS will Horrific to say the least!!!
— Zeek (@Lord_Zeek) February 25, 2014
Whatever happens after Mobile World Congress, though, BlackBerry may still have an uphill battle convincing developers it has a long-term future.
Does anybody need a doorstop? BlackBerry just released two new devices. #blackberry http://t.co/Aw8uvrAyqu
— Christian Gravemaker (@ChrisGravemaker) February 26, 2014