Leaked low-end BlackBerry models don’t look ready to save the company

It looks like BlackBerry has been working on two new phones, amid announcements that the company is moving away from consumer products and laying off 4,500 employees. Both models fall firmly in the budget phone category, one with a physical keyboard and one without, and may serve as the entry-level devices in BlackBerry’s next-generation smartphone lineup.

According to BGR, the keyboarded model, codenamed “Kopi,” will launch at an even lower cost than the entry level Q5. LIke the Q5, the Kopi may be destined for emerging markets thanks to its price and a lack of LTE. Likewise, the leaked full-touch C-series phone, codenamed “Americano,” will most likely be the lower-priced counterpart to the recently announced Z30 with less power and a smaller 4.2-inch 720p display.

The leaks come amid news that the company may be purchased by a Canadian investment company, which could lead to a return to private ownership. BlackBerry has been having a tough time recently, struggling with low sales and the recent indefinite delay to its anticipated cross-platform BBM app. With broken promises, poor smartphone sales, and massive layoffs, it’s hard to imagine two new budget smartphones helping redeem the struggling company.