It was announced today that the BlackBerry Q10 will launch on T-Mobile with the BlackBerry 10 OS on June 5. The BlackBerry Q10 is one of two of BlackBerry’s latest smartphones that will operate on the BB 10 OS, though this one features BB’s signature QWERTY keypad along with a 3.1-inch touchscreen display. Should you decide to opt for the handset carried by T-Mobile, it could cost you as low as $99.99 down–with 24 equal monthly payments of $20 for well-qualified buyers, of course.
At the BlackBerry Live event earlier this month, the Canada-based telecommunications company was expected to unveil a collection of smartphones that would pull the plummeting company from the dredges of obscurity and insignificance, and though on the surface the BlackBerry Q10 may appear to be simply status-quo, it may actually be more than capable.
The handset sports a clear though rather small touchscreen display, is powered by a 1.5GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 plus processor, offers an expediant 2GB of RAM, features 16 GB of internal storage with the microSDXC option for another 64GB, and allows for 1080p and 720p video resolution with the 8MP and 2MP front and rear cameras, respectfully.
Running on the BlackBerry 10 mobile OS is a big shift in the way BB’s line of smartphones operates. BB showcased the QNX-based OS by implementing it not only in the phones, but in cars made by Mercedes Benz and Bentley. While yes, both automotive manufacturers put their own respective spins on the OS, the point is that BB 10 is dexterous with its real-time updates. This bodes well for the way people will interact with the BB Q10, but with its QWERTY keyboard, it may be hard for BlackBerry to get its foot in the door.
BlackBerry boasts its QWERTY keyboard as its signature calling card, but really its nothing more than a relic of a time gone by. Sure, the BB Q10 sports an impressive super AMOLED touchscreen but either BlackBerry wants to keep its keyboard as statement of where the company has come from, or it actually thinks people like it. Really its obsolete, a dead technology that is sure to alienate many users because simply having it there is a turn off no matter what BlackBerry puts underneath the hood.
Let’s hear from the BlackBerry faithful out there. Who actually likes BB’s keyboard and why? Who thinks its useless? Will the BlackBerry Q10 have enough charm to lure you away from your current device? If so, why?
