N4BB is an Internet-based tech watchdog devoted to everything BlackBerry. Recently a report published by that website states that the BlackBerry Z10 will be available on the AT&T network with a launch date of March 14. This will make AT&T the first US carrier to deliver the new BlackBerry 10 operating system and Z10 handset to American smartphone shoppers. It was also stated that AT&T, as reported here in an earlier bulletin, has a strong desire to be the first wireless carrier to release a new BlackBerry device. Originally slated for a late March offering, the move up should guarantee that AT&T offers the much-anticipated BlackBerry Z10 first in the US.
AT&T has a good relationship with BlackBerry, formerly Research in Motion or RIM, so this news is not surprising. As far as picking a particular launch date, March 14 does not seem like the best possible date for announcing the new operating system and smartphone. March 14 is also the day in which Samsung is scheduled to officially announce and debut their much-anticipated Galaxy S4 smartphone in New York City. In related news, AT&T has previously stated that they will carry both the BlackBerry Q10 and Z10 smartphones.
The main difference between the two handsets concerns screen size and keyboard functionality. The Q10 offers a smaller display coupled with a fully functional physical QWERTY keyboard. The Z10 is totally touchscreen driven, using a virtual keyboard for input. The BlackBerry Z10 offers an extremely high pixel density, double the average amount of RAM memory, a microSD slot for storage expansion and large high-resolution display.
Compared to other smartphones with the same size display, the handset is slim and light, measuring 5.12 x 2.58 x 0.35 inches (130 x 65.6 x 9) and weighing 4.85 ounces (138 g). The display runs 4.2 inches, presents more than 16 million different colors, and delivers a resolution of 768 x 1,280 pixels. Pixel density runs high at 356 pixels per inch, and the built-in light and proximity sensors are on board to help extend battery life.
At approximately 25% better performance than the average handset, the BlackBerry Z10 offers 10.0 hours of talk time from a single charge. The CPU is a dual core 1.5 GHz chip, and 2.0 GB of RAM memory joins 16 GB of built-in storage and the handset’s hardware package. Video capture is supported at 1,080P HD resolution by the rear facing 8.0 megapixel camcorder, and the handset offers NFC wireless support out-of-the-box.
