BlackBerry's latest phone, the Q10, is going on sale in the UK as the company continues its fightback.
The launch of the Q10 comes three months after the company unveiled the Z10, the other phone in its two-pronged attack to claw back sales from the likes of Apple and Samsung.
The Canadian firm said in March that the touchscreen-only Z10 had helped it return to profit. However, there were still concerns from analysts that the phone was not being marketed properly.
The new device is aimed at those who enjoy the traditional BlackBerry keyboard, but who also want touchscreen functionality.
It has a dual-core 1.5Ghz processor, 2GB of Ram, an 8 megapixel camera and a 3.1" display.
Initial reviews of the Q10 have been complimentary, but there are concerns the relatively small screen size could deter some buyers.
Phones like the Samsung Galaxy S4 and the HTC One have a larger viewing area, and BlackBerry could lose out to its rivals in this area.
BlackBerry has lost market share in recent years as iPhone and Android devices have become more popular. Its reputation was also damaged after much-publicised service disruptions.
The success of the new handsets is seen as crucial to the company's survival, but competition is fierce.
The financial power of Samsung has seen the South Korean firm launch a massive marketing push for its Galaxy phones, and big sales are expected for the S4, which is due out on Saturday.
Meanwhile, despite this week's fall in profits and whispers of weakening innovation, the popularity of Apple's iPhone continues.
The US technology giant managed to sell 37.4 million devices in the first quarter of 2013.
BlackBerry is not the only manufacturer that is suffering. Taiwanese firm HTC has also been hit by Apple and Samsung's dominance.
The two leaders own 71.4% of the worldwide smartphone market, with LG a distant third.
The BlackBerry Q10 goes on general sale in the UK on Monday, but is available in some shops this weekend.










Source: sky news