Blackberry Q20 Release Date: Specs Of Upcoming BB10 Handset Will Embody Classic Look, 4Q 2014 Unveiling Expected; Will This Help Gain Market Share For The Co.?

Blackberry Q20 release date: Specs of the upcoming BB10 powered Blackberry Q20 will embody a classic look, according to the company’s top executive. Blackberry CEO John Chen confirmed that the handset will be like a Q10 but with QWERTY/Touch plus navigation keys and an improved trackpad.

The highly anticipated Blackberry Q20 is predicted to arrive in the 4Q of 2014 and is part of the company’s goal to get back some of its market share which it lost to Apple, Samsung and other mobile industry leaders. SeekingAlpha noted in a report regarding Blackberry’s stock that Chen has a 10 million handset sales target for the year.

The investment site noted that mid-priced handsets like the Blackberry Z3, Q20, and other future QWERTY BlackBerry OS 10 devices will help Chen hit his 10 million handset sales target.

According to MobileSyrup, the Q20 will feature a generous 3.5-inch touchscreen and will have a “large battery.” In terms of design and built, the CEO touted that the handset will be “crafted from premium materials and designed for reliability and durability.” The Q20’s design lines will also feature the function keys and trackpad from older generation BlackBerry devices.

Blackberry’s head honcho said that he would have wanted to have the Blackberry Q20 released yesterday, but the “the user interface is one that has some modern technology as well as letting the old user base, like a Bold 9900 user base, be very comfortable and familiar with.”

“So I’m bridging the two worlds… so that takes a little while. It will probably be towards the end of the year, September/October timeframe. And I’m very much looking forward to that device,” Chen added.

Blackberry used to own 40% of the mobile handsets market but is now down to 4% because of the smartphone revolution that was pioneered by Apple with the iPhone. The Ontario-based former tech giant is playing catch-up, but has since released several devices that aim to prove its mettle in a field it once dominated.