BlackBerry has been facing some major financial problems over the past months and it looks like the company is striving to boost sales of its Z10 and Q10 smartphones. While carriers and other partners have started to lose faith in the company, the Canadian giant has taken matters in its own hands by offering the two phones directly to customers in the US via its online store.
N4BB notes that the company’s decision to offer the handsets on its own should help its current situation. Both, the Z10 and Q10 smartphones can be picked up unlocked and sans any carrier commitment. The former is tagged at $449 and the latter is on sale for $549, both in black and white shades.
While the devices have already been available through T-Mobile, AT&T, Sprint and Verizon, the first carrier plans to drop all BB10 phones from its stores and only make them available online since sales for the Q10 and Z10 have been low.
The Z10 in particular has cost the company $1 billion in losses, owing to which, the company plans to sack 4,500 employees and only release four smartphones instead of six next year. Also, the company’s manufacturing partner is looking for a way to break all ties with BlackBerry.
So far, five devices, namely the Z10, the Q10, the Q5, the Z30 and the 9720, have been introduced into the 2013 lineup and another handset dubbed Kopi, has made it to the rumor mill. However, there’s no mention if it will be available this year or next.