Phones 4u and Carphone Warehouse have revealed that the latest QWERTY handset from BlackBerry – the Q10 – is available to pre-order, and both have revealed a price for the phone. And while the former is offering a free 64GB PlayBook with every purchase to the first 300 customers, the latter lists a free Bluetooth wireless speaker as the giveaway item of choice. Concerning an exact release date, there is none. But the phone is expected towards the end of the month.
There has been so much talk of the Z10 and its capabilities that the QWERTY handset seems to have been overshadowed in all the hype. Both make use of the same BB 10 touch platform, which has introduced a few new features such as BB Hub and BB Flow. The hub is where users can get all their updates in one place, while Flow is something integrated into the platform that works from the very moment users wake the OS.
Coming to the device itself, there is a 3.1-inch Super AMOLED display which offers touch support and stretches from one edge to the other. Below the screen is the 4-row keyboard we’ve already touched upon. On the back is an 8MP camera bringing along auto focus and an LED flash, but which is also capable of face detection and geo-tagging. A webcam on the front will combine with the new BBM for video chats.
In addition, the phone will have wireless options including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC and hotspot functionality. There will also be LTE connectivity wherever the network allows it. Under the hood is a 1.5GHz dual core processor and 2GB of RAM, while 16GB of internal memory should prove ample for storage needs, although a microSD card slot is also present.
Yes the Z10 is a very capable handset (read our review here), but the BlackBerry Q10 is also worthy of some praise. And let’s give credit where it is due. Carphone Warehouse puts it up for £579.95 on a SIM-free basis, but those interested can also pick the device for free with plans as low as £36 per month. On the other hand, potential buyers will be able to purchase it from Phones 4u a little cheaper at £549.95 unlocked, or for no down payment with plans starting at £36 a month.