Both Nokia and BlackBerry once dominated the cellular phone industry before the rise of Android and Apple smartphones. In the hopes of staying competitive after a significant drop in sales, Nokia decided to go with a Windows OS but to no avail. While BlackBerry eventually released their own Android powered device but could not compete with the popularity of brands like Samsung, Sony and the like. Now, these two companies are hoping to make a strong comeback as they each released a new phone during the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas last January 5-8.
BlackBerry brought back its iconic keyboard from the previous Android model, the BlackBerry Priv in its recently unveiled BlackBerry "Mercury". While Nokia announced its first Android-powered phone, the Nokia 6. However, Nokia will only be launching its new mobile phone in China.
BlackBerry had yet to release the complete features and specifications of the BlackBerry "Mercury" as they are yet to finalize them. Even the name is not yet set in stone, though the current name has already sparked some positive feedback. According to GSM Arena, rumors for the Mercury include it getting a 1080p resolution screen, 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage and a 13MP back camera. Other speculations have the Mercury sporting either the Snapdragon 821 SoC or Snapdragon 625 processor.
The official launching of the BlackBerry "Mercury" is set in February at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) and available on the market a few days after.
Nokia, which was recently purchased by the Finnish firm HMD from Microsoft, has finally decided to go with the flow and release an Android-powered mobile phone. Nokia 6 is powered by the Android Nougat operating system, which is currently the latest version. It sports a sleek Aluminum uni-body with Corning Gorilla Glass. Inside, the device is powered by a Snapdragon 430 processor, 4GB RAM, 64GB internal storage and a 3000mAH battery. The Nokia 6 also has a fingerprint sensor, 16MP rear and 8MP front cameras. Complete features and specifications can be found here.
The Nokia 6 is exclusively available in China through on of the largest retailers in the country, JD.com.
