BlackBerry unveils new smartphones

Michael Josh Villanueva

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BlackBerry unveils the Z10 and Q10 smartphones that run on its new operating system BlackBerry 10 OS, drops RIM from branding.

NEW BLACKBERRY PHONES: The Z10 (left) and Q10 (right) run on BlackBerry 10 OS

MANILA, Philippines – BlackBerry unveiled two new smartphones that run on its new operating system BlackBerry 10 OS at a special event in New York on Thursday, January 31 (Manila time).

The BlackBerry Z10’s slate design is reminiscent of the iPhone 5 and is completely touch-based while the Q10 (Q for QWERTY) retains a physical keyboard similar to that in existing BlackBerry Bold 9900 phones.  Complete specs of both phones are as follows:

BlackBerry Z10

  • Screen Size: 4.2 inches
  • Resolution: 1280 x 768 touchscreen
  • Weight: 4.78 oz
  • Processor: Dual-core 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4
  • RAM: 2GB
  • Storage: 16GB (expandable via microSD card slot)
  • Battery: Removable (305 hours standby, 10 hours talk)
  • Camera: 8MP back (with flash) / 2MP front
  • Connectivity: WiFi, 3G, LTE

BlackBerry Q10

  • Screen Size: 3.1 inches
  • Resolution: 720 x 720 touchscreen
  • Weight: 4.78 oz
  • Processor: Dual-core 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4
  • RAM: 2GB
  • Storage: 16GB (expandable via microSD card slot)
  • Camera: 8MP back (with flash) / 2MP front
  • Connectivity: WiFi, 3G, LTE

Both phones will be available in black and white.

The Z10 goes on sale January 31st in the United Kingdom, and in February in Canada and the United Arab Emirates. The rest of the world will get the phone some time in the first quarter of 2013. In Canada the phone will sell subsidized for $149 with a 3-year contract. According to BlackBerry some carriers will get the BlackBerry Q10 by April 2012, no word yet on pricing.

BlackBerry claims that as of launch date, over 70K apps are available for BlackBerry 10, the most “by far than any first generation smartphone OS.” Some apps include Skype, WhastApp, Kindle, Angry Birds, Facebook, Twitter, and Foursquare. Apps will be available alongside videos and music on its online store BlackBerry World. During the launch event the company announced strategic partnerships with major studios in order to provide video and music content similar to that on Apple’s iTunes Store.

RIM no more

BlackBerry CEO Thorsten Heins announces new brand name

Before the unveiling its new lineup of products, Research In Motion (RIM) CEO Thorsten Heins announced that his company would, effective immediately, operate under the name BlackBerry, adapting the name of its popular smartphone and mobile computing platform. 

Heins says the change comes at a defining moment in his company’s history, “RIM created the first BlackBerry smartphone and changed the way millions of people around the world stay connected. As we launch BlackBerry 10 around the world, now is the right time to adopt the iconic BlackBerry name.”  

Global creative director

CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Alicia Keys talks about joining BlackBerry

Grammy-award winning musician Alicia Keys was named Global Creative Director – a new position in the company. In her new role, Keys will work closely with app developers, content creators, retailers, carriers, and the entertainment community to further shape and enhance the BlackBerry 10 platform and inspire creative use. According to Keys her goal, “is to inspire creativity with this platform, and I’m so excited to jump right in.” – Rappler.com

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