The Bphone B40 and Bphone B60, two budget and mid-range Bphone models, have officially been removed from BKAV’s homepage after a long period of being in a “coming soon” state.
At the event last May, alongside the Bphone B86 in the near-premium segment, BKAV unexpectedly launched two additional models: the Bphone B60 and Bphone B40, priced at 6.99 million VND and 5.49 million VND, respectively. These two models inherited some key features from the Bphone B86, such as a glass back and metal frame, a bezel-less display, and water resistance; however, they had reduced specifications and camera capabilities.
At the time of launch, BKAV promised to bring the Bphone B40 and Bphone B60 to shelves “in June 2020.” However, shortly after, BKAV pushed the timeline back to July 2020. July passed, and BKAV once again updated the release information for the Bphone B40 and Bphone B60. This time, BKAV did not provide a specific timeline, but instead wrote that it was “coming soon.”
In September 2020, during a livestream interaction with users, BKAV CEO Nguyễn Tử Quảng was asked about the launch progress of the two budget Bphone models. Mr. Quảng stated that the delay of the Bphone B40 and Bphone B60 was due to BKAV seeking Google Play Protect certification. He then reaffirmed that BKAV would release another budget Bphone model in 2020, “if plans do not change.” .
At the end of January 2021, the Bphone B86 officially received Google Play Protect certification. However, since then, BKAV has remained silent regarding the Bphone B40 and Bphone B60. Currently, these two models have officially been removed from BKAV’s homepage. They still exist in the Bphone list, but users cannot access them as they have been blurred out.
Although not officially confirmed, BKAV’s “death sentence” for these two Bphone models is entirely understandable. The specifications of the Bphone B40 and Bphone B60, such as the Snapdragon 636/660 chips from 2017, single cameras, and low battery capacity… have proven to be extremely outdated, rendering these models unable to compete with current products on the market.
Another BKAV product currently in a stagnant state is the AirB headphones. First announced by BKAV last May with a promise of a launch within two months, the fate of the AirB has mirrored that of the Bphone B40 and Bphone B60 for nearly a year now. This headphone still remains in a “coming soon” state.
In a recent statement by CEO Nguyễn Tử Quảng in January, he justified that “the process of researching active noise-cancellation technology has faced many difficulties” and “promised that there will be the highest quality AirB headphones in the near future.”
The AirB shares a similar fate to the Bphone B40 and Bphone B60, with changes in the release timeline and still no specific launch date.
Will the phrase “in the near future” that Mr. Quảng mentioned equate to the phrase “coming soon” that BKAV previously used for the Bphone B40 and Bphone B60? We will have to wait and see in the “near future.”