According to information from the Chinese electronics and home appliances retailer Suning, starting from June 18, 2010, it will sell two types of Blackberry handsets on its nationwide retail network, marking Blackberry's entry into the Chinese consumer retail market.
Suning said that the company has signed a strategic agreement with Blackberry to become an exclusive home appliance chain channel distributor for the smartphone. It will open stores in 22 Chinese cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou, focusing on the sales of the Blackberry handsets.
The modes of the two types of handsets are Blackberry 8310 with the retail price of CNY3,680 and Blackberry 8910 with the retail price of CNY4,880. The latest Blackberry 9530 product will also be launched in China soon.
Blackberry started cooperation with Chinese telecom operators at the end of 2009, but the operator customized Blackberry handsets to target government and corporate users, instead of individual users. The two types of Blackberry handsets which will be sold in Suning stores are focused on a broader consumer market.
