VietNamNet Bridge – If RIM group’s Chief Executive Officer Jim Balsillie came to Vietnam, he wouldn’t believe his eyes: His BlackBerries are being reproduced in a matter of minutes in an obscure country at the edge of the world’s technology map.

A VietNamNet reporter followed a technician to witness how the BlackBerry cell phone, called a “BlackBerry dolly”, is reproduced in Vietnam.

In around ten minutes, a BlackBerry 8320 was assembled completely, with mainboard worth 1 million dong, cover 400,000 dong, screen 180,000, battery 120,000 and some spare parts, totaling 2 million dong or $110. Putting the newly-assembly BlackBerry cell phone besides an authentic BlackBerry phone, one could not tell them apart, except for from the case.

Assemblers said that if components were imported in big batches, the price of the made-in-Vietnam BlackBerry would be even lower.

These phones are sold at 3.2 to 4 million dong per unit, with warranties of 6 months to 12 months, and sold under the guise of having been brought in from another country, not officially imported.

BlackBerry cell phones are advertised on many websites, such as 5giay, handheld, muare and others at similar prices. They also appear at all mobile stores in Hanoi.

The use of BlackBerry has become a trend in Vietnam, following Paris Hilton, Linsay Lohan and US President Barack Obama. Most Vietnamese users don’t pay much attention to the advantages of BlackBerry, only its fashionable aspects and reasonable price.

For this reason, the market for BlackBerry assembled in Vietnam continues to widen. 

Vuong Long

Please send us your comments and feedback: