BlackBerry Z10’s U.S. Launch Just Weeks Away
The BlackBerry Z10, the first handset to run the company’s new BlackBerry 10 operating system, will make its stateside debut before the month is out.
Sources in position to know tell AllThingsD that AT&T will begin selling the Z10 the week of March 18. Bloomberg, in a report of its own, narrows that window further to Friday, March 22. Far from a surprise, really, as Verizon Wireless previously said it expected to add the Z10 to its portfolio by the end of March, as well. Price: Starting at $199.
While the Z10 has already debuted in a number of countries with some success, its U.S. launch will be among the most important. The country is among BlackBerry’s largest markets, and is crucial to its turnaround strategy. Hard to believe it now, but there was a time when BlackBerry was the leading smartphone brand in the U.S., thanks to its vast core demographic of enterprise users. The stateside debut of the Z10 will be the first volley in the company’s attempt to reclaim that title.