BlackBerry, known for its history as an enterprise phone, has finally launched the Z10 in Singapore. The smartphone is now available for pre-order at all three local telcos but will only be in stores come March 7.
BlackBerry (formerly RIM) today announced its new addition to the Singapore market – the BlackBerry Z10, a smartphone on a re-invented platform said to create a new unique mobile computing experience.
It is also the 10th anniversary for BlackBerry here in Singapore, says Charles Dufourcq, the country director for Singapore at BlackBerry. The phone, which is available for pre-ordering at either of the three telcos – SingTel, StarHub or M1, will only be in stores come March 7.
BlackBerry revealed that the Z10, which is available in either black or white, will go for S$918 at a retail price without contracts. It is also the fastest and most advanced smartphone out in the company’s history. Featuring a 1.5 Ghz dual core processor with 2GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage and an expandable memory card slot that supports up to 64GB cards, it is evident that BlackBerry is upping its game to catch up with the other major smartphones out in the market right now.
Known for its expertise in being an enterprise phone company, BlackBerry seems to be using Z10 as a stepping stone to reach more consumers. Its keyboard has always been one of its more memorable features across all its previous creations. This time, the Z10 does not surprise with its innovative and intuitive keyboard that learns typing behaviour and a “flick” function, which allows users to type and send out messages with only one hand.
Charles added at the launch, “It brings mobility to the next level for consumers and enterprises. It’s different [...] because this device learns what you do and what you type.”
He also added that there will be a shift in gaming experience with the Z10, and that EA and Gameloft are committed to being on-board with the smartphone.
Another key feature that the Z10 banks on is the Storymaker function, which is essentially a simplified video maker for amateurs who want to put something up in seconds.
The BlackBerry World storefront has over 70,000 BlackBerry 10 apps with major social networking sites like Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Foursquare apps pre-installed on the phones. Other apps include Disney, Skype, Rovio and Cisco with a plethora of local installations like PicStory, Popcorn: SG Movie Showtimes, SISTIC, Autumn Dynasty and ComfortDelGro Taxi Booking.
What we thought was interesting is local app, PicStory byRisto Mobile Solutions. PicStory is a photo-composing, editing and sharing app. The app also allows users to add their photos to Blackberry Messenger (BBM), the exclusive BlackBerry instant messaging app. According to its co-founder and chief architect, Wvgen Wong, the social photo sharing app ranks 3rd for worldwide downloads within the BlackBerry 10 platform.
See also: Risto Mobile launches PicStory 4 on Blackberry and Android
The Z10 has also upgraded many of its features to play catch up with other big folks like the iPhone and Android, with a video function available on BBM and an NFC-enabled sensor for mobile payments and file exchange. It is also heavily promoting the Z10 as a smartphone that counts a lot on gestures and finger motions, as the phone has literally no buttons unless you count the lock and volume controls. However, this might end up hindering BlackBerry stalwarts who are not so keen on changing and learning (given that the keypad was one of the biggest selling points of BlackBerry before the popularity of touchscreen devices like the iPhone).
Here are the specifications of the Z10:
- Size (L x W x D) 130 mm x 65.5 mm x 9 mm
- Weight: 135.4g
- Display: 4″2, 4 point multi-touch IPS LCD display, 1280 x 768 resolution at 356 PPI Touch on lens
- Software: BlackBerry 10 OS
- Memory: 2GB RAM, 16 GB Flash, Hot Swappable microSD slot (up to 32GB)
- Processor: Dual Core 1.5 GHz
- Camera: 8 MP rear facing camera, Auto Focus, 5x digital zoom, 1080p HD video recording, LED flash
- 2 MP front facing camera, 3x digital zoom, 720p HD zoom recording
- GPS: Assisted, Autonomous and Simultaneous GPS
- Bluetooth: Bluetooth 4.0 Low Energy
- NFC: NFC-enabled to support mobile payments and file exchange
- HDMI: micro-HDMI out port
- Advanced Sensors: Accelerometer, Magnetometer, Proximity, Gyroscope, Ambient light sensor
- Wi-Fi: Dual Band 802.11 a/b/g/n, Mobile Hotspot
- Battery Life: – Talk Time up to 10 hrs on 3G
- Standby Time up to 305 hours on 3G, up to 316 hours on 2G
- Audio playback up to 60 hours
- Video Playback up to 11 hours
The post BlackBerry celebrates 10 years in Singapore with Blackberry 10 powered Z10 launch appeared first on e27.
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