A price for the BlackBerry Z10 through AT&T has been revealed as the carrier gears up to accept pre-orders for the phone starting from March 12, that’s tomorrow. The actual release date of the device has also been confirmed for March 22, staying in line with unofficial word that’s been going around about the same.
Considering the Canadian manufacturer’s track record so far, it’s possible that potential buyers will need to be convinced about having to shell out $199.99 for the handset. From the previews so far, the company seems to have done a pretty good job with the spanking new BB 10 OS, the main selling point of the smartphone. In fact, even while the hardware specs are being talked about earnestly, the software features largely appear to be the focus here.
What’s a little surprising is that the manufacturer chose to take its latest handset to India and then the UK before offering it in the US. Lengthy discussions with network operators, perhaps? At any rate, here’s what to expect in terms of the key specifications – The touchscreen spread across the front panel is of 1280 x 768p resolution and measures 4.2 inches. At the heart of the device is a dual core 1.5GHz processor and 2GB RAM to keep things moving as they work with a 1800mAh battery.
For fulfilling photography needs as best as it can, there’s an 8MP camera on the back panel as well as a 2MP front lens for video calls. The onboard 16GB memory is expandable via a microSD card slot and owners get access to the rebranded BB World app store, of course. Lastly, the highlight on the software angle is BB Hub, the place where all of the user’s emails and messages come together so that emerging out of any app and getting to them can be accomplished with a swipe.
Potential buyers won’t just be coughing up $199.99 in change for the device. The purchase will also be stringing along a customer contract of 2 years as well as accompanying plans. Suffering from commitment issues? Solavei has been stocking the phone since February. The only difference now is that the vendor who was originally selling the unlocked hardware for $999, is now offering it for a much lower $689 tag and promising shipping with 24 to 48 hours only.
AT&T happens to be holding a Keep Moving with Alicia Keys Sweepstakes for those who pre-order the BlackBerry Z10, with 200 of these units being marked for the first prize winners. Well, that’s probably one more convincing reason to pre-book it.