14 DAY TRIAL // Today, BlackBerry (formerly Research In Motion) has announced the upcoming availability of the first devices running under the BlackBerry 10 operating system, including the long-rumored BlackBerry Z10 handset, which will land on shelves at Verizon Wireless in Black and White flavors.
The wireless carrier has confirmed the availability of the device on its network with LTE-connectivity packed inside, the same as the BlackBerry Q10 handset.
The BlackBerry Z10 smartphone will hit shelves at Verizon with a price tag of $199.99 attached to it, while the white flavor of the device will be available in the US exclusively on Big Red’s network.
The carrier did not offer a specific release date for the new mobile phone, but BlackBerry did say that the first BlackBerry 10 handsets would reach shelves in the United States starting with mid-March.
The smartphone will arrive on shelves with the new BlackBerry 10 platform loaded on top, with appealing new features such as BlackBerry Hub, Skype, ooVoo, BBM with video calling, and more.
“The keyboard is no longer just about tapping letters on a screen. It’s about how it adjusts to a user’s typing style, whether it’s a rapid or a one-handed typist. It’s about the keyboard understanding what the user wants to say and creating personalized prediction and contextual auto-corrections,” Verizon explains.
“BlackBerry Calendar is another feature that understands and adapts to how the smartphone is used. Every time a new appointment or meeting is created, the calendar predicts and suggests who should be invited.”
With the new BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) in BlackBerry Z10, users will be able to enjoy fast communication capabilities over 4G LTE, while also being able to easily share content with their contacts.
“Co-workers can screen share and review documents and presentations, and friends can chat about things like recent vacations, sharing pictures and video to make it a richer exchange,” Verizon explains.
Additionally, the handset will provide business capabilities, including BlackBerry Balance, which enables users to keep their private and work lives separate on the same device.