05:54 Joseph
The
company on Wednesday introduced the BlackBerry Z30, a new model that
features a 5-inch display, stereo speakers, a bigger battery, and the
latest version of its BlackBerry 10 operating system.
The Z30,
which was previously known as the BlackBerry A10 when it was in
development, and which CEO Thorsten Heins has alluded to, is the
company's newest flagship smartphone, occupying the tier above the Z10
and Q10.
The Z30 comes as BlackBerry is actively "exploring
strategic alternatives," which is business-speak for looking for a
buyer. Speculation has ranged from partnerships and joint ventures to
the company getting broken up into pieces that would be more palatable
for purchase.
Concerns have mounted on BlackBerry's viability
after a brutal first quarter, which saw a disappointing number of
BlackBerry 10 devices sold. The company reports its fiscal
second-quarter results next week. Reports of layoffs have only
exacerbated those fears.
Indeed, despite a buzz-filled launch
and early positive impressions, BlackBerry got swallowed up by the flood
of other high-profile smartphone launches, including the Samsung Galaxy
S4. The announcement comes as Apple is prepared to release iOS 7, and
will launch the iPhone 5C and iPhone 5S on Friday.
As such, it's
no surprise that BlackBerry is choosing a more low-key format to
introduce the Z30, one that doesn't involve a major press conference
spanning multiple global locations, like the Z10 launch, or even at its
developer conference, like the Q5.
BlackBerry appears to be
taking a cue from the trend to go bigger with screen size, pioneered by
Samsung and its Galaxy Note franchise. The Z30 features a 5-inch Super
AMOLED display, as well as "top-of-the-line components," including a
1.7-gigahertz processor and quad-core graphics. The phone also features a
larger 2,880 mAh battery, which it boasts is the largest put into a
BlackBerry, which gets 25 hours of mixed use.
Other additions
include stereo speakers and Paratek Antenna technology that it said
would dynamically tune the reception and provide a better connection in
low-signal areas.
On the software side, the Z30 will come with
BlackBerry 10.2, which features an enhanced Hub that prioritizes certain
contacts and messages, a new notification system with BlackBerry
Messenger, and the ability to have icons on the lock screen for better
messages and notifications. BB 10.2 will be available to existing
BlackBerrys starting mid-October.
The Z30 will launch at select
carriers and retailers in the U.K. and the Middle East starting next
week, with other regions coming ahead of the holiday season. The
Canadian carriers will release their availability dates "shortly," and
details for a U.S. release would come soon, according to a
representative.
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