BlackBerry 10 smartphones: New BlackBerry Z10, Q10 launched
The Q10 will have a physical keyboard, while the Z10 has only a touch-screen keyboard.
Most analysts consider a BlackBerry 10 success to be crucial for the company's long-term viability.
After a long delay, BlackBerry, the name by which Research In Motion now calls itself, has announced the launch of its first BlackBerry 10 smartphones - Z10 and Q10.
BlackBerry announced that over 70,000 apps are now available for BlackBerry 10 devices and includes Skype, Amazon Kindle, WhatsApp, SAP and Angry Birds.
In the UK, the BlackBerry Z10 will be available beginning Thursday on pay monthly contracts and pre-pay plans from EE, O2, Vodafone, Phones 4u, BT, 3UK and the Carphone Warehouse.
In Canada, the BlackBerry Z10 will be available on February 5th. Pricing will vary by carrier partner, but it will retail for around $149.99 on a 3-year contract.
In the UAE, the BlackBerry Z10 will be available on February 10. Pricing will vary by carrier partner, but unsubsidized it will retail for AED 2,599.
In the US market, The company expects availability with most carriers for the BlackBerry Z10 to be in March.
Many of the company's global partners have already launched or will be launching pre-registration and pre-order sites. The company expects the first global carriers to launch the BlackBerry Q10 in April. BlackBerry will announce new pricing and availability information as carriers roll out around the world.
If you are a fan of a physical QWERTY device experience, you are going to love the BlackBerry Q10, says the company.
Regardless of BlackBerry 10's advances, though, the new system will face a key shortcoming - It won't have as many apps written by outside companies and individuals as the iPhone and Android.
The BlackBerry 10 phones boast fast browsers, new features, smart cameras and, unlike previous models, enter the market primed with a large app library.
The company also demonstrated the BlackBerry Flow" feature for multitasking. "For me, the BlackBerry hub is the most exciting thing about BlackBerry 10, said Vivek Bhardwaj, head of software portfolio, BlackBerry.
The Hub integrates social network notifications in addition to BBM and email. Users can tweet directly from the hub, act on notifications, without leaving the Blackberry hub.
RIM had shown off prototypes and previews before. Wednesday's event was the first time RIM showed off a complete product, with details on prices and availability expected.
With BlackBerry 10, users can switch BBM chat to a BBM Video conversation and talk face-to-face with those that matter to you most.
