17:31
So far there has only been two smartphones announced to be using the new operating system from Blackberry, with the BlackBerry Z10 already available and the Q10 due for release in the next few days. Now though there is talk of a 5-inch touchscreen BlackBerry 10 device due for release later this year.
Back at the end of March a supposed road map appeared that featured a number of Blackberry 10 handsets that had yet to be officially announced by the company, but analyst Peter Misek is claiming that there will be two or three new devices released by the end of this year.
One is said to be a mid-range handset that could be the R- Series we have already heard about along with another device that is around the same price but with a touchscreen, but it is also being claimed that a 5-inch touchscreen device that will resemble the Z10 will also become available.
This could be the device that has got CEO Thorsten Heins so excited, and Misek has also rubbished recent claims that were made by some that the BlackBerry Z10 had seen a high return rate.
Checks have found that the device has just seen the sort of returns that can be expected with any new smartphone, and one of the main reasons users were bringing the device back was that they wrongly thought the device had a physical QWERTY keyboard and instead they will wait and purchase the Q10 instead.
Best Buy offering BlackBerry Z10 on Bell with big discount
Since the company launched its new operating system BlackBerry look to be gaining ground in the smartphone market with the hardware as well as the software being highly praised by early adopters. Now a couple of months after first becoming available smartphone users in Canada can get the BlackBerry Z10 with a big discount via Best Buy on Bell.
This is not the first time we have seen price reductions on the handset as last month in the UK the price was lowered a little, which was then followed by some other offers emerging in the US. The handset has sold well so far but if you have been holding off picking up the device and are a customer of Bell you will need to quickly get yourself down to your local Best Buy brick and mortar store.
Until tomorrow the company is offering customers taking up a new three year contract a free BlackBerry Z10 which is a discount of $100. The offer ends tomorrow, April 18th and unfortunately is not available via the company’s online store, and it is not known how much stock is available at each store.
So it may be an idea to give your nearest Best Buy store a call before making a special journey, and comes as we get closer to seeing the BlackBerry Q10 being released to the masses. Despite seeing the odd price cut here and there, it is not thought the company has been having issues shifting units of the device with early results pleasing the company.
17:28
The BlackBerry 10 operating system is about to get a new smartphone lining up alongside the already released Z10 in the form of the Blackberry Q10 with is full sized QWERTY keyboard, and now UK carrier Vodafone has begun taking pre-orders for the handset in either black or white.
Pre-orders for the BlackBerry Q10 have kicked off on the carrier which has the handset down for a release on the 30th of this month, and is available free on contracts starting at £37 per month. This will provide users unlimited talk minutes and texts, as well as 1GB of data.
Other monthly plans on offer include a £33 per month deal that provides the user with 600 minutes of talk time, unlimited text messages, and 500MB of data, although this does require an upfront fee of £129 for the BlackBerry Q10.
If you have more money to spend each month £47 gets you unlimited talk time and text messages along with 4GB of mobile Internet and 2GB of Wi-Fi with no upfront cost for the handset. The handset will begin shipping to customers from April 30th and the device is listed to be 4G ready once the company flips the switch on its new network later this year.
This comes after we already heard that high street retailer the Carphone Warehouse had started its own pre-orders with a SIM free price of £579.95, which puts the handset at a higher price than the Apple iPhone 5.
BlackBerry Z10 price bargain on AT&T or Verizon via Amazon
There’s some great news today if you are on AT&T or Verizon and thinking of purchasing the BlackBerry Z10 smartphone as there’s a real price bargain available on Amazon right now for this device. The Z10 has been a popular handset already but with prices now even lower we think many more people will soon be getting their first taste of a device that runs the brand new BlackBerry 10 OS.
The price of the BlackBerry Z10 through AT&T or Verizon is currently $199.99 on the usual two-year contract. However that price has now been reduced by half on Amazon to only $99.99 on a two-year contract. This is for the Z10 on either AT&T or Verizon but we should point out this is for new customers only. If you are already on AT&T and upgrading to the Z10 the price on Amazon goes up to $149.99 but that’s still $50 less that the usual price.The $99.99 price also applies to purchases on Verizon via Amazon for new customers with a contract but for existing customers choosing to upgrade the price is $139.99, again still a worthwhile saving.
As a reminder we’ll tell you that the BlackBerry Z10 has a 1.5GHz Qualcomm dual-core processor, a 4.2-inch display with resolution of 1280 x 768 and 335 ppi, 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage, expandable via microSD.If you want to see more or to order the BlackBerry Z10 through Amazon head here for the AT&T model, here for the Verizon white model or here for the Verizon black model.
17:22
When BlackBerry launched the new BB10 operating system a couple of months ago consumers in the UK and Canada were among the first to get access to the BlackBerry Z10 handset, but at the unveiling of the new OS the company also revealed the BlackBerry Q10 that now has a Rogers and Canada release hint.
We have already heard of some carrier pricing for the UK along with SIM free prices and availability expected before the end of April. Now a leaked internal document has been given to Mobile Syrup that is suggesting the BlackBerry Q10 will launch on Rogers Wireless on Tuesday, April 30th.
You would have thought this will be the date that rival carriers also start providing the device with its full size QWERTY keyboard, and the company did reveal previously the handset should arrive this month. Currently there is no information regarding the pricing of the BlackBerry Q10 but there is a good chance it will be around the same as the BlackBerry Z10.
The company has been enjoying better than expected successes since it launched its new mobile platform OS with the Z10 already seeing good sales, and once the Q10 is released this could improve further.
To recap the BlackBerry Q10 has a 3.1-inch display at a resolution of 720 x 720 that is powered by a dual core processor running at 1.5GHz and paired with 2GB of RAM. There is 16GB of on board storage with a further 64GB possible via microSD card, 8-megapixel rear camera, and a 2-megapixel front facer.Rogers has since released the pricing for the device along with pre-orders with the BlackBerry Q10 costing from $199 with a new three year contract.
BlackBerry just confirmed to us the target pricing of its upcoming QWERTY smartphone in the US, and the quick takeaway is that keyboards don't come cheap. According to company representatives, the Q10 is intended to be sold for $249 on a two-year contract, which positions it as more expensive than the Galaxy S 4, iPhone 5, One and Z10.
Now, the one hiccup in this equation is that carriers may turn around and do whatever pricing shenanigans they please, but outside of special promotions, you can rightfully expect the Q10 to be one of the most expensive on-contract smartphones of the day. With so few compelling QWERTY handsets on the market, however, it seems that BlackBerry is hoping you'll value a keyboard more than your hard-earned dollar. If it the company's correct, that'll mean a lot more profit.
17:15
We’ve had a few months now to start getting used to the all-new BlackBerry 10 operating system and the first devices to run it, the BlackBerry Z10 and the soon-to-release BlackBerry Q10. The Z10 has met with respectable sales so far and the Q10 is also set to do well as it has the customary BlackBerry QWERTY keyboard lacking on the Z10. So how about the BlackBerry S10, a conjuring mixing the best of both,Read on for further details.
It’s fair to say that BB10 does seem to have rejuvenated the BlackBerry platform and we recently also heard about the budget BlackBerry R Series, due to release later this year. We hadn’t heard of the BlackBerry S10 though but it turned out there was a reason for this as so far it is merely one designer’s conjuring of a BB10 smartphone. Still from time to time we enjoy looking at concept designs as they can help us imagine what sort of devices could be offered in future months.
We thought this BlackBerry S10 concept phone was interesting enough to share with readers as we think it could really appeal to plenty of people. It comes from one of our favorite concept designers Deepak Ahuja and we also recently showed you his concept for the iPhone 5S that you may want to check out here. His BlackBerry S10 rendering (that you can see pictured above) is of course running on BlackBerry 10, is powered by a 1.2GHz quad-core processor and has a 3.6-inch Super AMOLED display with resolution of 720p.
Other specs imaginings for the BlackBerry S10 include an 8.1-megapixel rear camera and 1.9-megapixel front-facing camera, 16 or 32GB of internal storage and a 2400 mAh battery. Ahuja’s vision of the BlackBerry S10 appears to combine the sleek styling of the Z10 with the QWERTY keyboard and trimness of the Q10. We’d really like to hear from readers about this concept BlackBerry phone and what you think of it.
The BlackBerry Z10 and the Q10 brings the best of both worlds if you like full touchscreen smartphones or a part touch display with a QWERTY keyboard. What would happen if you combine both of these together in one device.The answer to the question above is none other than the BlackBerry S10; this is a new breed for the BB10 world.
The BlackBerry S10 photo shown above (courtesy of Concepts Phones was designed by Deepak Ahuja) and shows what the S10 look likes side-by-side with the Samsung Galaxy S3 and the size differences, and if this were to release it would come featuring a 720p resolution 3.6-inch Super AMOLED display.
Other key specifications would include a Cortex A9 1.2 GHz quad core processor, 16 and 32 GB of internal storage options, 8.1-megapixel main camera with LED flash, 1.9-megapixel camera on the front and a 2400 mAh battery.
16:39
Currently consumers looking to join the new BlackBerry 10 operating system are limited to one handset with another one due to be released shortly, and both the Z10 and Q10 are high-end devices from the company. Now though what could be a budget BlackBerry 10 device called the R-Series has been spotted.
While the BlackBerry Z10 has been available for a while now and the physical QWERTY packing Q10 due for release soon, another possible device that could become an entry-level handset has been seen that you can see on this page.
At the end of last month a supposed roadmap appeared that showed a number of BB10 devices due for release, and one of them mentioned at the time were the R10 that could be the device that has now appeared.
While there isn’t many details about the device it is expected to be a lower end model with around 8GB of built in storage and possibly 1GB of RAM with a full QWERTY keyboard. It is believed the handset will also feature SIM and microSD card ports on the side of the device so users don’t have to dismantle the handset to get access to them.
It was thought the handset won’t be making an appearance until the third quarter of this year at the earliest, and the company is said to be also planning a new flagship device that has got the company’s CEO excited.
New image of the R-Series QWERTY budget BlackBerry 10 phone has surfaced online. The keyboard looks similar to the one on the Facebook Phone HTC ChaCha. We have already seen the BlackBerry L-Series phone, the BlackBerry Z10 and the N-Series phone, the BlackBerry Q10. It is code-named Rainier and is expected to be released in the R-Series later this year. R-Series might be a separate category for budget BlackBerry 10 phones.
This device was already spotted back in December in a blurry shot alongside the BlackBerry Z10 and the BlackBerry Q10. Unlike the high-end devices, this budget device is expected to be made of plastic. No details about the specifications of the device. Hope we can see something similar or better than the Curve 9320, which is a popular budget BlackBerry smartphone with 3G support. BlackBerry will eventually release entry level BlackBerry 10 devices.
One of these will be the R-Series, otherwise known as the codename Rainier.We’ve already gotten a first look at the elusive BlackBerry 10 ‘Curve’, but it was quite the blurry shot.This new one shows off the separated keys much better.It still closely resembles the Facebook HTC Cha Cha, in my opinion. Though, it’s growing on me. Let us know in the comments what you think of this potential BlackBerry 10 device.
BlackBerry will eventually release entry level BlackBerry 10 devices. One of these will be the R-Series, otherwise known as the codename Rainier.We’ve already gotten a first look at the elusive BlackBerry 10 ‘Curve’, but it was quite the blurry shot. This new one shows off the separated keys much better.
It still closely resembles the Facebook HTC Cha Cha, in my opinion. Though, it’s growing on me. Let us know in the comments what you think of this potential BlackBerry 10 device.BlackBerry (BBRY) is planning a successor to its entry-level Curve line of smartphones.
Earlier this week, it was reported that the company is working on a low-end BlackBerry 10 device, claimed to be part of the “R-Series.” The handset reportedly includes a QWERTY keyboard, along with 8GB of internal storage, an SD card slot, a 1,800 mAh battery and a price tag between $300 and $400. A user over at the BlackBerryOS forums on Thursday posted an image that he claims to be the upcoming BlackBerry 10 R-Series smartphone.
16:28
Smart phones have become the need of the hour and when it comes to naming the prime producers of smart phones, Apple, Samsung and Blackberry are few private limited, which have been catering to the need of the people in terms of quality and efficiency.
But off late, Blackberry has been a cause of disappointment as the products launched by the company have not been much successful and over a period of a year, from 79 million people using the very phone, the usage has dropped down to 76 million. An overall loss of approximately 3 million people is a good enough reason for the company to look out for ways to increase the sales.
Previously, the name of the company was “Research in Motion” and later on it was being changed to Blackberry. This has indeed led to action in motion when Blackberry came up with the launch of its latest product Z10. Blackberry Z10 prize is pretty much affordable and along with Z10, another model i.e. Blackberry Q10 has also been launched by the company.
Although the company has made an approximate profit of $98m in a quarter and which is majorly via Blackberry Z10 deals, the analysts have not commented much upon the success rate. As per them, the judgment should be given after an appropriate span and since the launch has been new, they would like to take their own time in analyzing the profits and losses made by the company.
Z10 has already been launched in markets of UK, Canada and other countries and for the people who wish to buy Blackberry Z10, various Blackberry Z10 deals have been made available by the retail shops.The company claims that around 3 million handsets have already been sold in just 3-months which is contrary to the comments given by the clients. The Citigroup has been highly disappointed with the launch and so are many other clients especially in US.
The BlackBerry Z10 is the first of two new BlackBerry phones presented at the BlackBerry 10 event on January 30, 2013.The BlackBerry Z10 uses the new BlackBerry 10 mobile operating system. The user interface of BB 10 is based on the concept of direct manipulation, using multi-touch gestures. Interaction with the OS includes gestures such as swipe, tap, pinch, and reverse pinch, all of which have specific definitions within the context of the BB10 operating system and its multi-touch interface.
The Z10 comes pre-loaded with: BlackBerry Hub, Contacts, BlackBerry Browser, BlackBerry Calendar, BBM, Text Messages, BlackBerry World, BlackBerry Remember, Docs To Go, Pictures, Music, Videos, Story Maker, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Foursquare, BlackBerry Maps, Games, YouTube, Voice Control, Weather, Clock, Calculator, Compass, File Manager, Box, BlackBerry Connect for Dropbox, Print To Go, Smart Tags, Settings, Android Runtime, Adobe Reader, Phone, Camera/Video Camera/Time Shift, Setup, Help, SIM Toolkit, Search.
The phone has a mobile hotspot functionality, which supports up to 8 devices, sharing its internet connection.It accesses the BlackBerry World, an online application distribution platform for the BlackBerry OS. The service allows users to browse and download applications, games, music, videos from the BlackBerry World store.
The touchscreen keyboard provides an advanced typing experience. It learns the user's writing style and suggests words to help the user type faster, more accurately and with the least amount of effort."The BlackBerry Z10 has an 8 megapixel camera on the back with autofocus and LED flash capable of shooting 1080p video, while there's a 2 megapixel camera on the front that shoots video at 720p". A unique feature in the Z10's camera app is TimeShift. "BlackBerry has been showing it off for a while, and it lets users dial back the time on certain pictures so that people aren't making less-than-ideal faces in it (like blinking mid-shot)."
The Z10 has Voice Control, that allows the user to operate the phone by spoken commands. Voice Control recognizes natural speech patterns, so that the user can talk naturally and always be understood. It can be used to send messages, compose emails, dictate documents, and search the phone just by speaking to the app.
There are four SKUs for the Blackberry Z10, corresponding to the North American carrier band distribution and international versions. The LTE version of the Z10 features the Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Plus (SoC) which has a dual-core CPU running at 1.5 GHz, and an Adreno 225 GPU for LTE-capable units. For markets where LTE is not supported (international model), BlackBerry will release the Z10 with the Texas Instruments OMAP 4470 (SoC) which has a dual-core CPU running at 1.5 GHz and a PowerVR SGX 544 GPU. It will use STE M5730 modem.
16:25
BlackBerry smartphones have always been famous for their physical QWERTY keyboards that still appeal to a number of consumers, but when the company launched its new operating system the focus was on the touchscreen BlackBerry Z10. April is the month that is down for the release of the QWERTY BlackBerry Q10, and now we have some price speculation on UK carrier O2 for the handset.
We heard last month that a couple of retailers had put the device up at a pretty high SIM free price, with the arrival of the handset expected this month for some carriers and retailers. Now it is being claimed by Viral Phone that O2 will be offering its customers the BlackBerry Q10 for about £530 SIM free.
The handset is expected to arrive on the UK carrier at sometime during May, and obviously the company will also be offering the handset on a number of contracts. This should see customers getting the handset for free on condition of a new two year contract being agreed to and could cost as little as £30 each month.To remind you the BlackBerry Q10 uses a 3.1-inch display with a resolution of 720 x 720 that is coupled with that physical keyboard. There is also a dual core processor running at 1.5GHz under the hood, with a rear facing 8-megapixel camera and a 2-megapixel unit on the front.
BlackBerry has announced that its new Q10 smartphone the one with a physical keypad will make its global debut in Canada on May 1.In a blog posting on the company's website, BlackBerry said all three of Canada's big wireless carriers — Bell Mobility, Rogers Wireless and Telus — will have the handset in their stores and kiosks in eight days, with prices starting at $199 with a three-year contract.
Telus and Bell have said they will sell the phone without a contract for $700. Rogers will sell the phone for $649.99 without a contract, and will be the only Canadian carrier that offers the BlackBerry Q10 in a white version, as well as the more common black model.The launch date is in line with analysts' expectations.BlackBerry said the Q10 would also be available through Virgin Mobile Canada, Fido, Koodo Mobile, Sasktel, and at The Source, Best Buy and Future Shop. It said further details on those rollouts were still to come.
Availability dates for the Q10 in the U.S. and other countries are still to be announced. That's similar to the staggered rollout for BlackBerry's Z10 model, which launched first in Canada and several other countries on Jan. 30. The Z10 wasn't available in the U.S. until March 22.
In March, BlackBerry CEO Thorsten Heins said the Q10 wouldn't be available in the U.S. for two or three months.The decision to stagger the release of the touchscreen and keypad versions prompted some criticism from analysts.
The new Q10 model, which has both a keypad and a touchscreen, is considered especially crucial for BlackBerry's turnaround hopes as many BlackBerry users prefer a physical keypad over the touchscreen found on the iPhone and many Android devices.
16:18
Verizon is now selling the BlackBerry Z10 smartphone and there are two options, the first option is the $599.99 month-on-month, or you can opt to pay $199.99 on a 2-year contract.Verizon Wireless is offering the BlackBerry Z10 in either black or white options, as well as a bundle option. This is called the ‘BlackBerry Z10 Premium Bundle – Travel’, this bundle contains a display protector, black Otterbox Defender case and a lighted vehicle charger.
Be aware of the price differences if you choose the bundle option, the price will bump up to $669.98 on the month-to-month service and $269.98 on the 2-year contract.For more information and the option to purchase the BlackBerry Z10, please head on over to Verizon Wireless.
The BlackBerry Z10 smartphone has finally launched, and is currently carrying a discounted sale price at the Amazon Wireless store online. That remodeled smartphone from the company formally known as RIM hit the Verizon 4G LTE network on the 22nd of March this year, and was recently spotted for $99 on contract at that online retailer. BlackBerry has put all their proverbial eggs in the BlackBerry Z10 basket, and early results seem to indicate that at this time they have made a smart gamble.The BlackBerry Z10 4G smartphone is on sale now for the Verizon Network priced at $99.99 for new customers.
The handset sold 1 million units at the retail level over the period of time which industry analysts expected 900,000 sales, and that 11% performance of above analysts’ estimates is a positive sign for BlackBerry. Also, a single commercial purchase was made to the tune of 1 million BlackBerry Z10 smartphones, which is a record setter on one transaction for that company. BlackBerry has reinvented the form factor for the new Z10, and totally ditched the physical QWERTY keyboard which was an iconic piece of previous BlackBerry smartphones.
The new handset is totally touchscreen driven, and is slim at 0.35 inches (9.0 mm) in thickness. The handset is also light considering it delivers a large display and impressive hardware package, and weighs just 4.85 ounces (138 g). Home to a speedy 1.5 GHz dual core processor and 2.0 GB of multitasking RAM memory, the BlackBerry Z10 offers a large 4.2 inch LCD screen with 768 x 1,280 pixel resolution. 16 million colors are delivered at the rate of 356 pixels per inch, a high-end pixel density compared to most other handsets.
The BlackBerry Z10 includes a 1,800 mA battery, which teams up with power saving light and proximity sensors to deliver 10.0 hours of talk time from a full battery charge. That single charge also produces up to 13.0 days of standby battery power, and the handset’s hardware package is built around a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Plus MSM8960 system chip. That includes the above-mentioned CPU, an Adreno 225 graphics processor and storage expanding microSD slot, along with 16 GB of internal storage.
Buy the BlackBerry Z10 4G smartphone on sale now starting at $99.99 for all customers.BlackBerry has given the Z10 NFC support out-of-the-box, as well as a rear facing 8.0 megapixel camcorder. That rear snapper is capable of recording your video memories in 1,080P HD resolution, and joins a front facing 2.0 megapixel chat cam in the camera combo. Aside from video chat sessions, that front facing shooter also provides video call support.
16:07
Canadian smartphone manufacturer BlackBerry is pinning its future on its all new BlackBerry 10 operating system, and signs are looking promising with early adopters giving the OS the thumbs up, now the company’s CEO has stated a new flagship BlackBerry 10 device is promised for 2013.
When the company first showcased its new operating system we also got to see the BlackBerry Z10 and Q10 smartphones with the latter set to become available in the coming weeks. Now though CEO Thorsten Heins has said in an interview with Cnet that the company has another flagship device due for release during the holiday season later this year.
He claimed to be really excited about the new device but couldn’t share the information about it for the time being, and Heins also revealed the company have another mid-range device also due for release at some point this year.
The CEO was asked what makes the new flagship handset so good he replied that the device takes the OS to a new level for user experience, while he expects the BlackBerry Q10 to land in markets one or two months after the other device was released, and we have already seen pre-orders for the unlocked versions of the handset begin in the UK.
Eventually the company wants to have three levels of smartphone with each of them having a touchscreen device and a physical QWERTY model. All the handsets will either use the same sized display as the Z10 or the Q10, which is a move to help developers provide applications for the platform that has now reached 100,000.
Canadian smartphone manufacturer BlackBerry is pinning its future on its all new BlackBerry 10 operating system, and signs are looking promising with early adopters giving the OS the thumbs up, now the company’s CEO has stated a new flagship BlackBerry 10 device is promised for 2013.
When the company first showcased its new operating system we also got to see the BlackBerry Z10 and Q10 smartphones with the latter set to become available in the coming weeks. Now though CEO Thorsten Heins has said in an interview with Cnet that the company has another flagship device due for release during the holiday season later this year.
He claimed to be really excited about the new device but couldn’t share the information about it for the time being, and Heins also revealed the company have another mid-range device also due for release at some point this year.
The CEO was asked what makes the new flagship handset so good he replied that the device takes the OS to a new level for user experience, while he expects the BlackBerry Q10 to land in markets one or two months after the other device was released, and we have already seen pre-orders for the unlocked versions of the handset begin in the UK.
Eventually the company wants to have three levels of smartphone with each of them having a touchscreen device and a physical QWERTY model. All the handsets will either use the same sized display as the Z10 or the Q10, which is a move to help developers provide applications for the platform that has now reached 100,000.
BlackBerry has only announced two devices that run its new BB10 operating system — the keyboardless Z10 and QWERTY Q10 — but today we might be getting a look at the third device in its lineup. A BlackBerryOS.com forum user posted an image of a previously unseen Curve-like QWERTY device, calling it the R-Series. The poster didn’t offer any more details on the phone, but purported details of a new lower-end BB10 handset were posted by BlackBerry Empire, which may or may not be describing the same device.
If the description is accurate, the phone will have microSD and Micro SIM slots on its side for quick swapping without taking the phone apart, include 8GB of storage, and house an 1800mAh battery. It goes without saying that this is still far from certain — the BlackBerry Empire image below appears to literally be a drawing on a napkin — but a new BB10 device is still noteworthy. But it’s not likely that we’ll see it in the short term, considering the Q10, which BlackBerry showed off in January, won’t be arriving in US stores until May at the earliest.
16:04
The new BlackBerry 10 OS is gathering momentum as the hardware is now reaching more markets, and next month will see the BlackBerry Q10 making an appearance. Now today there are reports that a BlackBerry phablet device is rumoured for release this year among other hardware.
We recently heard that a flagship device was due to be released at some point this year that company CEO Thorsten Heins is really excited about. A now a recently created Twitter account has leaked what is supposedly a roadmap for the platform that includes handsets we already know about, as well as a tablet and phablet devices.
The image has some possible codenames and we already know about the Z10 and Q10, but during the third quarter according to this roadmap a tablet could be coming and we have already heard conflicting reports about such a device being released this year.
According to this information towards the end of this year going into 2014 a phablet type device could be released by the company, and could be the device that the CEO is getting so excited about. This information has to be taken with a pinch of salt though as previously Heins suggested that all the hardware on the platform will feature the same sized displays.
This is to help developers when it comes to providing applications for the operating system, but CEO’s have been known in the past to not to be so forth coming with the facts to help prevent upcoming products being leaked early.
The 2010 Dell Streak used the Android (operating system) and a 5-inch, 800×480 pixel display and widescreen-optimized interface. Reviewers encountered issues with its outdated operating system, Android 1.6, which was not optimized for the larger screens. The device was commercially unsuccessful.
The 2011 Galaxy Note used a 135 mm (5.3 in) screen. While reviewers such as PC World Australia and Techradar questioned the viability of the device, the Note received positive reception for its stylus functionality, the speed of its 1.5 GHz dual-core processor, and the advantages of its high resolution display.
The Galaxy Note was a commercial success; Samsung announced in December 2011 that the Galaxy Note had sold 1 million units in two months. In February 2012, Samsung debuted a Note version with 4G LTE support, and by May 2012 the Note received an update from Android 2.3 to Android 4.0, an operating system optimzed for larger screens.By August 2012, the Note had sold 10 million units worldwide.
The 2012 Samsung Galaxy Note II employed a 1.6 GHz quad-core processor, a 5.55-inch screen and the ability to run two applications at once via a split-screen view. Sales of the Galaxy Note II reached 5 million units internationally in two months.
The 2012 LG Optimus Vu used a 5-inch display using a 4:3 aspect ratio — which was considered an unusual aspect ratio for a smartphone screen. The Huawei Ascend Mate— employed a 6.1-inch display. The 2013 Samsung Galaxy Mega is projected to have two versions, with 5.8" or 6.3" screens, neither with an integral stylus.
15:51
We are about to see a wider audience that can get access to the new BlackBerry 10 operating system, and so far early adopters have had only one handset to choose from. Now we have news of the BlackBerry Q10 UK release with a SIM free price that will mean that you better start counting your pennies if you want to purchase the device.
We heard yesterday that the handset had been put up on the Carphone Warehouse website, and now another retailer Unlocked Mobiles has listed the BlackBerry Q10 with an unlocked price of £529.98 with a release date of April 26th.
This is only slightly more expensive than the same retailer will sell you the BlackBerry Z10 for at £524.99, while rival online retailer Expansys has the Z10 priced at £479.99 unlocked. Expansys currently at the time of writing doesn’t have any information regarding pricing or a delivery date for the Q10.
Another online retailer Clove has the BlackBerry Q10 listed at an eye watering £534.99 once VAT has been added, which also comes with a late April availability date. Online retailers can sometimes see prices change as the handset gets closer to release but this is unlikely to happen now with the Q10.
For this sort of money you could purchase the Apple iPhone 5 or possibly the Samsung Galaxy S4, but there will be a number of consumers that want to experience BlackBerry 10 with a physical QWERTY keyboard, although some may be having second thoughts at this price.
The BlackBerry Q10 is the second of two new BlackBerry smartphones unveiled at the BlackBerry 10 event on January 30, 2013.The device has the company's distinctive QWERTY keyboard similar to that found on the BlackBerry Bold series and a 3.1-inch square AMOLED multi-touch display.In the United States, The BlackBerry Q10 has been announced for release by the following providers: Verizon Wireless, AT&T Mobility and Sprint Nextel.
In Canada, the BlackBerry Q10 has been announced for release by the following carriers: Bell Mobility, Rogers Wireless, Fido, and Telus Mobility.In Australia, the BlackBerry Q10 has been announced for release by Telstra and Optus.
15:47
At the end of January the world got to see the new BlackBerry 10 platform at an event that also unveiled the new hardware that will be available to consumers, with the likes of the UK and Canada getting access to the BlackBerry Z10 shortly after. Now we have news that BlackBerry is going to hold another event in the US to celebrate the release of the Z10 in the country.
In a few hours time Samsung will be holding a special event in New York to unveil its latest smartphone and in exactly one week from now in the same city BlackBerry will also be holding a press conference to announce the availability of the BlackBerry Z10.
There has been confirmation the device was coming to some of the country’s major carriers for a while now, as we have seen the BlackBerry Z10 appear with Verizon branding ahead of confirmation of its availability. We have also heard about T-Mobiles plans for the handset although its business customers getting the handset first.
The unveiling of the handset at the event comes on day before the BlackBerry Z10 will become available on AT&T, but there is talk that Sprint may be getting a different touchscreen BlackBerry at a later date.It is not thought the event will get the kind of coverage the original showcase did, but it shows how important the company sees the US market in the future.
BlackBerry Hub acts as a notification center, with the user’s entire social and email accounts integrated into one app. These include, at launch, standard E-mail client, Twitter, Facebook, BlackBerry Messenger (BBM), and LinkedIn (with options to turn any of these services off). Standard notifications like missed calls, voicemail, and system updates also appear on the hub.
The hub can be accessible from any app/lock screen, by performing an upside down j-hook gesture. Users can perform various tasks like compose emails, send emails, and browse social networks, without accessing other apps. Developers are also given options to integrate apps into the Blackberry Hub.
The BlackBerry Z10 is making its way into different countries, the UK already has it and Indonesia has just received it and now we can reveal that the BlackBerry Z10 release in Australia will be before the US.
Not so long ago we gave you the latest news about the ‘The BlackBerry Experience Event’ kicking of in New York on March 21 at 7PM EDT, those that live in the US will be happy to learn that the Z10 will be available on both AT&T and Verizon with a release date of March 28th, pricing is expected to be around $199.
Those of you that live in Australia will be very happy to know that you will be getting the BlackBerry Z10 before the US from March 25th and 26th. The BlackBerry Z10 in Australia will be available from retailers such as Fone Zone, Harvey Norman and JB Hi-Fi; it will also be available with fantastic price plans from carriers such as Telstra and Optus.
Optus from March 25th and Telstra on the 26th, if you are looking to get your hands on the 1.5 Ghz dual core processor smartphone featuring 16GB of internal storage, 2GB of RAM with expandable memory please keep the dates above in your diary.
The operating system provides multitasking and supports specialized input devices that have been adopted by BlackBerry Ltd. for use in its handhelds, particularly the trackwheel, trackball, and most recently, the trackpad and touchscreen.
The BlackBerry platform is perhaps best known for its native support for corporate email, through MIDP 1.0 and, more recently, a subset of MIDP 2.0, which allows complete wireless activation and synchronization with Microsoft Exchange, Lotus Domino, or Novell GroupWise email, calendar, tasks, notes, and contacts, when used with BlackBerry Enterprise Server. The operating system also supports WAP 1.2.
Updates to the operating system may be automatically available from wireless carriers that support the BlackBerry over the air software loading (OTASL) service.Third-party developers can write software using the available BlackBerry API classes, although applications that make use of certain functionality must be digitally signed.
Research from June 2011 indicates that approximately 45% of mobile developers were using the platform at the time of publication.BlackBerry OS was discontinued after the release of BlackBerry 10.As of 2010, RIM is offering the Blackberry Enterprise Server Express edition with no user limitations - for free. It has a few minor feature limitations, but only requires a data plan - not a BES plan. It enables near-instant seamless mail and calendar integration with your existing exchange server (incoming emails often appear on the Blackberry handset before they appear in the Outlook or OWA clients), which is an advantage over the existing Outlook Web Access model that the Blackberry Internet Service offers.The free download requires a license code, which may be delayed due to demand.
As of January 2007, RIM is offering a free version of BES called BlackBerry Professional Software, which is a free download from the BlackBerry website and includes 1 user license. BPSE provides a "...wireless communications and collaboration solution designed specifically for small and medium-sized businesses."
It comes with one CAL (Client Access License) - meaning one BlackBerry handheld can be activated on the Server, and you can add up to 29 additional CALs (for a total of 30) or upgrade to BlackBerry Enterprise Server at any time.It's only available for Notes and Exchange environments. BPS is based on the 4.1 code, but with a more simplified management tool, and a limited amount of patches are being released. (BPS is "stuck" at v 4.1.4, where full BES is at 4.1.6 plus maintenance Releases). As such BPS is missing out on some functions that full BES did get from SP6 onwards, such as rich content email, free/busy search, remote search.
Blackberry Professional Software - originally called Blackberry Enterprise Server Express - first appeared with version 4. There was BES (full), and BES Express (same as full, but no cost, limited maximum number of clients, and 1 CAL included free), they then renamed BES Express to BPS, but it was still the same thing, and then later they introduced BES Express 5, which is rather different to the previous BES Express and BPS primarily because it allows non-BES devices/subscribers to have a "full-fat" Blackberry experience which is finally cost/feature competitive with Exchange ActiveSync devices, i.e. provides full synchronisation of read/unread status, deletions, mail subfolders (including sent items), contacts, and calendar, all without license costs and without the requirement of an expensive and sometimes extremely difficult to acquire BES tariff. (For example Orange in the UK may make it difficult to supply BES package/provisioning to less than 10 handsets at a time, and other operators often have extreme difficulty applying the BES package to handsets/subscribers that were originally BIS supplied.
15:41
The BlackBerry Z10 is making its way into different countries, the UK already has it and Indonesia has just received it and now we can reveal that the BlackBerry Z10 release in Australia will be before the US.
Not so long ago we gave you the latest news about the ‘The BlackBerry Experience Event’ kicking of in New York on March 21 at 7PM EDT, those that live in the US will be happy to learn that the Z10 will be available on both AT&T and Verizon with a release date of March 28th, pricing is expected to be around $199.
Those of you that live in Australia will be very happy to know that you will be getting the BlackBerry Z10 before the US from March 25th and 26th. The BlackBerry Z10 in Australia will be available from retailers such as Fone Zone, Harvey Norman and JB Hi-Fi; it will also be available with fantastic price plans from carriers such as Telstra and Optus.
Optus from March 25th and Telstra on the 26th, if you are looking to get your hands on the 1.5 Ghz dual core processor smartphone featuring 16GB of internal storage, 2GB of RAM with expandable memory please keep the dates above in your diary.
The operating system provides multitasking and supports specialized input devices that have been adopted by BlackBerry Ltd. for use in its handhelds, particularly the trackwheel, trackball, and most recently, the trackpad and touchscreen.
The BlackBerry platform is perhaps best known for its native support for corporate email, through MIDP 1.0 and, more recently, a subset of MIDP 2.0, which allows complete wireless activation and synchronization with Microsoft Exchange, Lotus Domino, or Novell GroupWise email, calendar, tasks, notes, and contacts, when used with BlackBerry Enterprise Server. The operating system also supports WAP 1.2.
Updates to the operating system may be automatically available from wireless carriers that support the BlackBerry over the air software loading (OTASL) service.Third-party developers can write software using the available BlackBerry API classes, although applications that make use of certain functionality must be digitally signed.
Research from June 2011 indicates that approximately 45% of mobile developers were using the platform at the time of publication.BlackBerry OS was discontinued after the release of BlackBerry 10.
15:32
The BlackBerry Z10 always looked set for success, as it is the first device to release running the new BlackBerry 10 OS. However although it has already hit the shelves in some regions, Such as the UK and Canada, it has yet to launch widely on the major US carriers.
Today though we have news about the unlocked BlackBerry Z10 for the US, the price of which has realistically fallen and is available now.Recently we gave readers information about the BlackBerry Z10 being launched on AT&T and also T-Mobile launch news. On AT&T the phone will cost $199.99 on the usual two-year contract or $549.99 with no contract and is expected to arrive around March 22.
However you don’t need to wait as long as that as MVNO Solavei already made the BlackBerry Z10 available in the US last month on PAYG at the rather exorbitant price of $999.99, although that has now been cut rather drastically.Solavei seems to have seen sense and the price of the BlackBerry Z10 unlocked is now $689, although this is still more expensive than AT&T’s no-contract price.
We should point out that although this is sold as an unlocked device it does come pre-configured with Solavei Internet and MMS settings. For that money you’ll get the Z10 with its 1.5GHz Snapdragon dual-core processor, 4.2-inch display with resolution of 1280 x 768, 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage, expandable via microSD. There’s also an 8-megapixel rear camera, 2-megapixel front-facing camera, LTE connectivity and NFC support.
On 1 May 2012, Thorsten Heins, CEO of BlackBerry officially unveiled the BlackBerry 10 platform. The features shown off at the BlackBerry World conference included a unique platform-wide flow interface, a new intelligent keyboard, as well as a camera app which allows the user to adjust the photo or individual faces by moving through time scale to optimize picture quality.
The user interface also includes the ability to run 8 "Active Frames". Active Frames are applications that are currently running within the operating system, but minimized. Some are capable of showing a feed of live information on the home screen.The Operating System also features the 'Hub', a list accessible from anywhere in the OS where all notifications including emails, social networking sites and text messages in one complete list.It eliminates the home button that are found in iOS and Android systems.
Gestures are largely integrated within the BlackBerry 10, featuring four main gestures for easy navigation.Quick swiping up from the bottom edge of the bezel will result in users returning to the home screen. From there, users can view and close active applications. Users can also swipe from the top edge, to bring down a quick setting shade on the home screen, or an option shade on other supported apps.
Also, while using any application, the upside down J-hook (starting from the bottom of the bezel and moving upward and right) allows users to peek at any notifications or messages on the BlackBerry Hub.Finally, swiping left to right (or vice versa) scroll through the available screens.
BlackBerry Balance is a new feature introduced in BlackBerry 10, enabling users to keep both personal data and office work data separated in its own spaces. Using Blackberry Enterprise Server 10, IT departments can allow users to set up work-spaces that automatically install applications and email accounts. After completion, users can navigate between personal and work profiles, by swiping down on the apps page. All of the user’s data is secured via 256-bit AES encryption, and any files created will stay within the profile partition.
15:26
The BlackBerry Z10 always looked set for success, as it is the first device to release running the new BlackBerry 10 OS. However although it has already hit the shelves in some regions, Such as the UK and Canada, it has yet to launch widely on the major US carriers.
Today though we have news about the unlocked BlackBerry Z10 for the US, the price of which has realistically fallen and is available now.Recently we gave readers information about the BlackBerry Z10 being launched on AT&T and also T-Mobile launch news. On AT&T the phone will cost $199.99 on the usual two-year contract or $549.99 with no contract and is expected to arrive around March 22.
However you don’t need to wait as long as that as MVNO Solavei already made the BlackBerry Z10 available in the US last month on PAYG at the rather exorbitant price of $999.99, although that has now been cut rather drastically.Solavei seems to have seen sense and the price of the BlackBerry Z10 unlocked is now $689, although this is still more expensive than AT&T’s no-contract price.
We should point out that although this is sold as an unlocked device it does come pre-configured with Solavei Internet and MMS settings. For that money you’ll get the Z10 with its 1.5GHz Snapdragon dual-core processor, 4.2-inch display with resolution of 1280 x 768, 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage, expandable via microSD. There’s also an 8-megapixel rear camera, 2-megapixel front-facing camera, LTE connectivity and NFC support.
On 1 May 2012, Thorsten Heins, CEO of BlackBerry officially unveiled the BlackBerry 10 platform. The features shown off at the BlackBerry World conference included a unique platform-wide flow interface, a new intelligent keyboard, as well as a camera app which allows the user to adjust the photo or individual faces by moving through time scale to optimize picture quality.
The user interface also includes the ability to run 8 "Active Frames". Active Frames are applications that are currently running within the operating system, but minimized. Some are capable of showing a feed of live information on the home screen.The Operating System also features the 'Hub', a list accessible from anywhere in the OS where all notifications including emails, social networking sites and text messages in one complete list.It eliminates the home button that are found in iOS and Android systems.
15:19
When the BlackBerry 10 operating system was officially unveiled the company showed off two handsets that will be running on the platform, and since then US carrier Sprint decided to only offer the Q10 handset, but new reports are suggesting that the carrier may get a different touchscreen BlackBerry 10 device.
According to new reports there is a reason why Sprint decided against offering its customers the BlackBerry Z10, as the network has plans to offer a different yet to be announced touchscreen smartphone.
It is being claimed that the device will first make an appearance around the middle of this year, which if true will please customers of the carrier that don’t fancy picking up the BlackBerry Q10 with its physical QWERTY keyboard.
The trouble with these claims though as at the launch of the new BlackBerry 10 platform it was suggested that the company was looking at product cycles of at least twelve months long, which would suggest no new handsets until next year.
Rival US carriers will be stocking the BlackBerry Z10 as only yesterday AT&T revealed that pre-orders for the handset would get underway today with a release on the 22nd of this month, and there will be many watching to see how the new hardware and OS do in the country.
RIM announced that the store would initially be available in the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada.As of September 9, 2010 - BlackBerry App World is available in 113 countries and accepts payment in all 113 using a combination of PayPal, credit card, and carrier billing.
List of countries where BlackBerry App World is available.
Applications are both free and paid from $0.99 to $999.99 USD in the U.S. The registration and app submission fees charged to developers are currently $0.
The service is available in English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, and Brazilian Portuguese.The store is available for the following BlackBerry devices that are updated to BlackBerry OS version 4.5.0 or higher.
15:13
The love for the BlackBerry Z10 is growing and it has now been confirmed that this new BB10 OS smartphone will be available to pre-order March 11th for T-Mobile Business customers, so get your diaries out and mark this date down if you are a business user on the T-Mobile USA network.
We reported 4 days ago that the BlackBerry Z10 touchscreen smartphone would be released to T-Mobile USA business users first, and now we can reveal thanks to Engadget that this handset will cost $249.99 on a two-year Classic plan. We have no idea at the moment when the BB Z10 will be available for the general public in the U.S, but as soon as we know we will let all T-Mobile users know.
Even though the BlackBerry Z10 device will be up for pre-order on March 11 for T-Mobile Business users, we are being told that they could expect delivery by the end of next week, which is good news for those waiting.
No longer called RIM, BlackBerry is already selling the Z10 in more than 20 countries; it is just a shame that our friends in the U.S have to wait a little longer. AT&T and Verizon Wireless are both keeping tight-lipped on when they will release the BlackBerry Z10.Can the BlackBerry Z10 keep its momentum up is sales when the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S4 and iPhone 5S are released.
AT&T BlackBerry Z10 priced and dated
The new BlackBerry operating system along with the only handset running the software has been available for users in the likes of UK and Canada for over a month now, but the AT&T BlackBerry Z10 is priced and dated with pre-orders for the handset about to get underway.
The new BlackBerry operating system along with the only handset running the software has been available for users in the likes of UK and Canada for over a month now, but the AT&T BlackBerry Z10 is priced and dated with pre-orders for the handset about to get underway.
This news comes as T-Mobile users in the country with business accounts can start to pre-order the BlackBerry Z10, and rival carrier AT&T will start its own pre-orders from tomorrow for customers with a release date of March 22nd.
The new smartphone will cost customers of AT&T $199.99 when taken with a new two year contract, and comes while users of rival carriers are still waiting for news of the BlackBerry Z10 availability.
BlackBerry 10 is miles away from the older operating system from the company and features some neat ideas in an impressive looking UI, and even though the OS as only been available for a short time BlackBerry has listened to users and already begun pushing out a software update that fixes a number of things, but more importantly is promised to improve battery life.
The handset will also offer support for the carriers fast LTE network, and the device will become the first major BlackBerry launch in the country for a couple of years, and while the BlackBerry Z10 is already available in over twenty countries around the world, most will be watching how the handset does in the US before judging how successful the new platform is.
15:06
Are you planning for a premium smartphone lately but confused on an ideal pick, Well, the post below presents a brief highlighting on the top features of some of the latest smartphones today. Take a brief look at the smartphone details below and then let us know what one you would love to own.
Sony Xperia Z
It runs on Android Jelly Bean OS v4.1.2 and is powered by a 1.5 GHz Quad Core processor. The phone is backed by 13.1 MP camera with 4128 by 3096 pixel resolution, LED flash and autofocus. Video facilities are available with 1080p at the rate of 30fps. The water and dust resistant phone runs on 2G, 3G and 4G networks. You will get a 5” multitouch TFT touchscreen. The internal memory capacity is 16 GB, two GB RAM. The data facilities available here include GPRS, EDGE, Bluetooth, WLAN, USB and NFC. It is a very good choice to buy the Sony Xperia Z compared to others.
HTC One
HTC One is powered by Android 4.1 Jelly Bean OS with latest Sense 5 User Interface. The most highlighted part of the phone is its 4 MP Ultrapixel camera where the size of the pixel is much larger in comparison to other smartphones in the market leading to images with better light capture. The OIS feature of the phone reduces risks of the blurry images. The storage capacity here is 32 GB or 64 GB. The phone supports complete WiFi facilities and features a superLCD3 full HD 4.7” screen.
Nokia Lumia 920
The Nokia 920 is run by Microsoft Windows Phone 8 OS and is powered by a 1.5 GHz dual-core processor. It’s equipped with 8 MP camera with 3264 by 2448 pixels, double LED flash, OIS facilities and autofocus features. The internal storage capacity is 32 GB, one GB RAM. You will get a 4.5” of LCD IPS capacitive touchscreen. The data features include GPRS, EDGE, WLAN, USB, NFC and Bluetooth.
BlackBerry Z10
The phone works on BlackBerry 10 and is powered by 1.5 GHz dual-core CPU. You will get a 8MP camera with 3264 by 2448 resolution, LED flash and autofocus capacity. The phone features a 4.2” of capacitive touchscreen with 768 by 1280p. The memory capacity is up till 64 GB. The phone supports Bluetooth, WLAN, EDGE, GPRS, USB and NFC.
Samsung Galaxy S4 (Upcoming)
And not to forget out beloved Samsung Galaxy series, they are coming up with their flagship phone of the year Samsung Galaxy S4 launching on March 14th with some leaked specs like super AMOLED+ display, Octa Core processor, wireless charging, 440 PPI resolution and eye scrolling.
14:59
The BlackBerry Z10 seems to be making its rounds at the moment and next in line for this new BB10 smartphone is none other than AT&T, we can now give a little more news covering the Blackberry Z10 AT&T release date speculation.
We already know that T-Mobile, Verizon and AT&T will be carrying the smartphone because you can register your interest on the carriers’ websites. This is the only way you will get email notification of when they will be available to buy.
The AT&T BlackBerry Z10 release date according to N4BB is speculated to be March 15th, which is the same release date as other retail locations. The T-Mobile version can be pre-ordered on March 11th with availability on the 27th for personal users, T-Mobile business users can get their hands on the Z10 on March 13th.So T-Mobile will get it first if all the news is correct then AT&T and Verizon will follow shortly after, we already reported that Sprint may not be getting their hands on the BlackBerry Z10, we will keep you posted.
In the UK many retailers are dropping the BlackBerry Z10 price, Carphone Warehouse is now offering for as little as £29 per month, and Vodafone and Phones 4u are all following suit. In 2003, RIM launched the Mobile Data Service to enable customers to access Java-based third-party enterprise applications using the secure real-time push-based BlackBerry infrastructure.
Later on October 21, 2008, RIM announced at the BlackBerry Developer Conference that the company would open an application store for their devices. It was also announced that the store was scheduled to be open in March 2009, and would work in conjunction with PayPal's services. On January 19, 2009, RIM began accepting submissions of applications from developers.
On March 4, 2009, RIM officially named the store "BlackBerry App World" (previously called the BlackBerry Application Storefront). It was also confirmed that the service would not initially be available for desktops, and only a web-based catalog would be accessible from non-BlackBerry devices.On April 1, 2009, at CTIA's trade show, RIM announced that App World had gone live.
At the BlackBerry sponsored Wireless Enterprise Symposium (WES), it was announced that an average of 1 million apps were being downloaded each day.On August 19, 2010, BlackBerry App World 2.0 was released. This new version introduced BlackBerry ID - a single sign, account system that can be used on both the BlackBerry client and the BlackBerry App World desktop storefront. In addition to BlackBerry ID, BlackBerry App World 2.0 also introduced direct credit card billing and carrier billing for AT&T Wireless subscribers.
14:53
At the end of January the world was introduced to the new BlackBerry 10 operating system, which is the company’s attempt to turn around its flagging fortunes and sliding sales. The early response to the new OS has been pretty positive so far, but the real test will come when the platform launches in the US in a few days time. It seems the BlackBerry Z10 on T-Mobile will launch for business users ahead of personal customers.
The company has begun the push with the new BB10 OS with the BlackBerry Z10 smartphone that is due to be released in the US this month, but according to N4BB on T-Mobile it will be business users that will be getting access to the handset first.
The handset will be available to pre-order from March 11th with deliveries expected to arrive shortly afterwards on the 13th, while personal users will have to wait until March 27th to get access to the device.
BlackBerry in the past relied on business users as their main source of income until the Apple iPhone came along and started to take customers away, and the BlackBerry platform mainly become the play thing for teenagers with its BBM messaging service remaining popular.
Things could be improving for the better for the company as it continues to update the OS and more hardware becomes available in the future, and winning back business customers will be an important part of this comeback.
BlackBerry World (previously BlackBerry App World) is an application distribution service and application by BlackBerry, formerly Research In Motion Limited, for a majority of BlackBerry devices.The service provides BlackBerry users with an environment to browse, download, and update third-party applications. The service went live on April 1, 2009.
Of the three major app providers, it has the largest revenue per app at $9,166.67 compared to $6,480.00 and $1,200.00 by the Apple App Store and Google Play, respectively. On January 21, 2013, BlackBerry announced that it rebranded the BlackBerry App World to simpler BlackBerry World as part of the upcoming release of the BlackBerry 10 operating system.
14:48
After many delays the new BlackBerry 10 operating system was finally launched at the end of January, and also saw the first handset to become on the platform, the BlackBerry Z10, which is seeing price reductions already.
The handset launched in Canada and the UK with a release coming shortly in the US, but some UK retailers are already cutting the price of Z10 tariffs shortly after the handset first become available. Shortly after it was first released in the UK there seemed to be a huge demand for the handset, but this was quickly questioned by some watchers, and now both Vodafone and the Carphone Warehouse have dropped the cost of owning the handset.
Originally the Carphone Warehouse had the BlackBerry Z10 available on tariffs from £36 per month with no upfront cost for the device. Now it is offering the handset from £29 per month but this does require a £29 upfront fee for the device, which is still a saving of £160.
Vodafone has a web only deal that costs £33 per month but does require an upfront fee of £129 but still works out at a saving of £72, and rival retailer Phones 4u have the smartphone on tariffs starting at £29 per month with the handset costing the same fee, but previously the cheapest tariff from the retailer was £36 per month.
They also have some cheaper monthly plans that start at £20 but need a higher fee paid out for the handset to begin with. Analyst at Pacific Crest is suggesting these price cuts are not a good sign for the company.
It is thought this move is by the carriers and will position the Z10 as a mid-range handset and away from offerings such as the Galaxy S3 or iPhone, but in the long term can become a highly profitable business.
So these price cuts doesn’t mean the new platform is failing, but instead just finding its correct price level and will help it even more going forward as more consumers adopt the platform and more hardware becomes available in the future.
14:41
The BlackBerry Z10 was released in a blaze of glory at the end of January in the UK and was followed in Canada although the US has still to see the launch. It’s scheduled for a US release in March though and only a few days ago we discussed how stateside customers of the BlackBerry Z10 had not been forgotten.
However if you were hoping for the Z10 to be carried by Sprint then we have some rather disappointing news as apparently Sprint has confirmed it will not carry this new smartphone and will only carry the Q10.The BlackBerry Z10 (full touchscreen) and the Blackberry Q10 (QWERTY handset) are the first two devices that will launch running the overhauled operating system and when the Z10 was officially announced we initially thought it would be coming to all of the major US carriers, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon and AT&T. However we have slowly heard confirmation from the other 3 major carriers but not Sprint.
We then recently heard that BlackBerry had posted a tweet to reassure US customers that the BlackBerry Z10 was coming in a few weeks and that landing pages for the BlackBerry Z10 had been set up for AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile, so while it’s not exactly surprising that Sprint will not carry the BlackBerry Z10 there may well be a few potential Sprint customers of the phone who will feel that they are missing out.
Now we hear of the official news that Sprint will definitely not carry the BlackBerry Z10 and it comes from BlackBerry spokesman Mark Elliott who spoke to Bloomberg about the situation. Elliott did confirm though that Sprint would carry the BlackBerry Q10, the BB10 phone with a more traditional QWERTY physical keyboard.
AT&T and Verizon have also confirmed they will be offering the Q10 as well as the Z10 but the Q10 isn’t due out in the US until May at the earliest. It looks like the first BB10 device will be available very soon then to most in the US except those who are Sprint customers and there is likely to be quite a bit of a further wait until the Q10 becomes available on Sprint, news that we think could well disappoint a lot of Sprint customers.
There are four SKUs for the Blackberry Z10, corresponding to the North American carrier band distribution and international versions. The LTE version of the Z10 features the Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Plus (SoC) which has a dual-core CPU running at 1.5 GHz, and an Adreno 225 GPU for LTE-capable units.For markets where LTE is not supported (international model), BlackBerry will release the Z10 with the Texas Instruments OMAP 4470 (SoC) which has a dual-core CPU running at 1.5 GHz and a PowerVR SGX 544 GPU. It will use STE M5730 modem.
