BlackBerry and Microsoft have reduced prices on some of their products to increase sales and become more competitive.
Microsoft dropped the the 32GB surface tablet from US$604 to US$421 and the 64GB model to US$542. BlackBerry meanwhile has cut its contract Z10 prices from $199 to $49.
“It’s a big deal for both companies. Competing with the Apples and Samsungs of this world is tough, and it’s a difficult climate to put out high-end products when the market is so dominated by a couple of players,” Tony Cripps, a telecoms analyst at Ovum, told the BBC.
BlackBerry reported a US$84m loss in its last quarter and has shipped one million Z10s in the first three months of 2013.
“For BlackBerry, it really bet the farm on its new BB10 operating system and it needs to regain market share in smartphones,” Cripps added.
“We’ve been seeing great success with pricing and cover promotions over the past several months on Surface RT in the US and other markets,” a Microsoft spokeswoman told BBC.
“People who buy Surface love Surface, and we’re excited about all those additional people out sharing their excitement for Surface with other people.”
