Could This BlackBerry Ltd (BBRY) Smartphone Dent Google Inc (GOOG)’s Market Share?

Although BlackBerry Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) continues to navigate a rough patch, including talks of a sale, it has not slowed the company down in the slightest. Its latest release, the 9720 smartphone, may be one of the biggest surprises of the year. If things play out the right way, Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) Android may find itself losing some market share to this new device.

During the BlackBerry Q1 2014 conference call, CEO Thorsten Heins discussed the upcoming release of a new 7.1 device. While you may have forgotten about this, the time to revisit the smartphone has come.

The BlackBerry 9720 has been announced, and in the weeks to come it will be available in many markets including Latin America, EMEA, and Asia.

Carlos Chiarello, Executive Vice President for Products, had this to say:

“The BlackBerry 9720 smartphone gives you all the essentials of the BlackBerry smartphone experience to support a communications centric lifestyle. It has the best keyboard and functionality for BBM, as well as an updated BlackBerry 7 OS that adds many enhancements. It’s perfect for customers upgrading from a feature phone or entry-level Android or Windows Phone device, as well as existing BlackBerry smartphone customers, that want a richer experience and jump up in style and performance.’

A Win for BlackBerry Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY)?

At this point, it is too early to tell if this is going to be the boost BlackBerry is looking for. That being said, Chiarello, as well as many others, are hoping the 9720 acts as a nice upgrade for those who are looking to move past an entry level Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) Android device.

There are many reasons for the optimism surrounding this smartphone. For example, many are exited that the device is taking some styling cues from the Q5. And of course,  cost-efficient price point is something that will help it perform well in initial markets.

For the sake of BlackBerry Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY), let’s hope this smartphone outperforms expectations. It may mean Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) Android loses a bit of market share, but it will not likely be that much.

Despite the fact that BlackBerry Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) continues to go through ups and downs, unlike Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG), these hedge fund managers are staying heavily invested in the company: Andreas Halvorsen, Eric Bannasch, John Thaler, Douglas Dillard, and Prem Watsa.

To learn more about BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10, check out this brand new clip from the company:

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