BlackBerry Pushes a Cheaper Phone in Asia

Debuting in Indonesia this April

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Chris Ratcliffe / Bloomberg via Getty Images

A logo stands on display outside the BlackBerry Ltd. headquarters in Slough, U.K., on Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2013.

BlackBerry announced Tuesday that it will begin selling a smartphone for less than $200 in April, as it looks to arrest a collapse in its share price and market share.

New CEO John Chen introduced the Z3 device, which is codenamed Jakarta, at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. A joint venture with Taiwanese manufacturer Foxconn, the smartphone will debut in Indonesia as a part of the struggling company’s attempt to win customers in burgeoning economies.

BlackBerry’s blog said the Z3 is “designed for customers in Indonesia,” so it’s unclear if it will eventually become part of the company’s strategy in the United States or elsewhere.

“The BlackBerry Z3 embodies all that BlackBerry 10 offers, with its exceptional productivity features and reliable communications, in a stylish, all-touch design made affordable for customers in Indonesia,” Chen said in a statement.