BlackBerry Z10 explained

BlackBerry Z10
Manufacturer:BlackBerry
Slogan:"Keep moving."[1]
Available:January 31, 2013 (UK)
February 5, 2013 (Canada)
February 10, 2013 (UAE)
February 22, 2013 (South Africa)
February 25, 2013 (India)
March 22, 2013 (US)
Carriers:Various (see Availability
Screen:1,280 x 768 px (0.98 megapixels) 4.2-inch (built on 71μm pixel) at 356 ppi, 15:9 aspect ratio
Os:Blackberry 10.2.1
Released January 28, 2014
Current: BlackBerry 10.3.3 (Released April 4, 2018)
Battery:1800 mAH removable battery
Input:Multi-touch touchscreen, on-screen keyboard
Cpu:ARM 1.5 GHz dual-core
Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Plus (MSM8960) (STL100-2 & STL100-3 & STL100-4)
Texas Instruments OMAP 4470 (STL-100-1)
Memory:2 GB RAM
Storage:16 GB flash memory
Memory Card:Up to 256GB microSDXC[2]
Networks:LTE
PCS
CDMA
HSPA+
EDGE
GSM
Type:Smartphone
Form:Slate
Size:130mm H
65.6mm W
9mm D
Weight:135.42NaN2
Predecessor:BlackBerry Torch 9860
Related:BlackBerry Q10
BlackBerry Z30
Rear Camera:8 megapixels, 1080p video capture
Front Camera:2 megapixels, 720p video capture
Connectivity:IEEE 802.11n-2009, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC, Micro HDMI, Micro-USB
Units Sold:1,300,000 (March 2013 estimate)
Country:Mexico/Canada

The BlackBerry Z10 was an LTE touchscreen-based smartphone developed by BlackBerry, previously known as RIM.[3] The BlackBerry Z10 was the first of two new BlackBerry phones presented at the BlackBerry 10 event on January 30, 2013.[4] The BlackBerry Z10 was followed by the Z30.

Development

BlackBerry's chief operating officer Kristian Tear and chief marketing officer Frank Boulben fought against co-founder and former co-CEO Mike Lazaridis to have the touchscreen Z10 prioritized over the Q10 which had a physical keyboard.[5] Boublen was then responsible for and received "criticism for the marketing campaign that supported the Z10 launch, including a confusing Super Bowl advertisement which some board members hated".[5] Both Tear and Boublen were ousted on November 25, 2013 by new CEO John S. Chen, whom weeks earlier had replaced Thorsten Heins.[5]

Software

See main article: BlackBerry 10.

The BlackBerry Z10 used the BlackBerry 10 (at the time running on 10.3.3) mobile operating system based on QNX. The user interface of BB 10 was based on the concept of direct manipulation, using multi-touch gestures. Interaction with the OS included a range of multi-touch gestures, all of which had specific definitions within the context of the BB10 operating system and its multi-touch interface. The Z10 came pre-loaded with a variety of default BlackBerry applications.[6]

The phone had a mobile hotspot functionality that could support up to 8 devices.[7] It accessed the BlackBerry World, an online application distribution platform for the BlackBerry OS. The touchscreen keyboard featured predictive text capabilities.[8]

The BlackBerry Z10 had an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera and a 2-megapixel front-facing camera. Its camera software included a burst mode branded as "TimeShift".[9]

The Z10 also featured voice control.[8]

Hardware

There were four SKUs for the Blackberry Z10, corresponding to the North American carrier band distribution and international versions. The LTE version of the Z10 featured the Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Plus (SoC) which had a dual-core CPU running at 1.5 GHz, and an Adreno 225 GPU for LTE-capable units.[10] For markets where LTE was not supported (international model), BlackBerry released the Z10 with the Texas Instruments OMAP 4470 (SoC) which had a dual-core CPU running at 1.5 GHz and a PowerVR SGX 544 GPU.[11] It used a STE M5730 modem.

The outer housing of the Z10 frame was made of plastic combined with an internal stainless steel metal frame, while the back cover was made of plastic and protected by rubber finish. The on/off and volume button were made of metal.

It was available in black or white colour variants. A limited red edition was available for qualified app developers.[12]

Availability

In Canada, the BlackBerry Z10 was available at Bell Mobility (including Virgin Mobile Canada), Mobilicity, Rogers Wireless (including Fido), SaskTel, Telus Mobility (including Koodo Mobile), Wind Mobile, and Vidéotron Mobile. It went on sale February 5, 2013. MTS mobility started a presale for the Z10 with an unknown launch date for the phone. Eastlink has also released the Z10.[13]

In South Africa the Z10 became available on February 22, 2013[14] on MTN. Vodacom had announced their intention to make the Z10 available, the day before on 21st Feb 2013.

In Nigeria, the Z10 became available on March 1, 2013 on carriers Etisalat, Glo, Airtel and MTN Nigeria.[15]

Claro República Dominicana announced pre-order date of March 7 on Facebook and sale on March 14 in the Dominican Republic. Orange Dominicana also announced pre-order of March 7 with a launch of March 14 on their Facebook page.

On February 10, 2013, prepaid provider and T-Mobile US-MVNO Solavei became the first in the United States to offer the BlackBerry Z10.[16] In March 2013, T-Mobile USA announced that the Z10 would be available for business pre-order on March 11, with pick-up on March 13. The store wide launch was scheduled for March 27. On March 11, AT&T announced a March 22 release date for the device, with pre-orders beginning March 12. Verizon announced pre-ordered for March 14, with a release date of March 28.[17]

Mexican Telcel announced pre-orders for Z10 on March 21 on Facebook and finally released on April 2.

In Australia, major telcos Optus and Telstra announced their intention to stock on March 25 and March 26 respectively.[18]

In New Zealand, Vodafone NZ made the BlackBerry Z10 available for sale on June 18, 2013.[19]

In India, the Z10 was launched on February 25, 2013.

In Taiwan, Taiwan Mobile made the Blackberry Z10 available on 15 April 2013.[20]

Model comparison

Model STL-100-1 (RFG81UW)STL-100-2 (RFH121LW)STL-100-3 (RFK121LW & RFF91LW) STL-100-4 (RFA91LW)
CountriesNepal, Nigeria, South Africa, Taiwan, Trinidad and Tobago, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Spain, Turkey, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Venezuela, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, El SalvadorAustralia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Philippines, Singapore, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, United Kingdom, Brazil Canada, Mexico, United StatesUnited States
Carriers/Providers Ncell, Vodafone Spain, Orange España, Yoigo, Turkcell, Avea, Vodafone Turkey, Celcom, DiGi, Maxis, U Mobile, Smart, Sun Cellular, MTN Nigeria, Airtel Nigeria, Etisalat Nigeria, Glo, Vodacom, MTN South Africa, Cell C, Telkom South Africa, STC, Mobily, Zain Saudi Arabia, Etisalat UAE, Du, Claro Colombia, Movistar Colombia, Tigo, Movistar Chile, Entel, Digitel, Movistar Venezuela, Taiwan MobileAltel, Celcom, DiGi, Maxis, U Mobile, Optus, Telstra, A1, 3 Hong Kong, PCCW Mobile, Smartone Hong Kong, Globe Philippines, M1, SingTel Singapore, StarHub, Vivacom, Orange France, SFR, Bouygues, Vodafone, O2 Germany, Deutsche Telekom, O2 (Ireland), Vodafone Italia, TIM, WIND, KPN Netherlands, T-Mobile Netherlands, Vodafone Netherlands, Orange Polska, Play, TMN, Vodafone Portugal, Optimus, EE, O2 UK, Vodafone UK, 3 UK, TIM Brasil, Claro Brasil, Oi, VivoBell Canada, Rogers, TELUS, Telcel, AT&T Mobility, T-Mobile US, Wind Mobile, Vidéotron Mobile (Québec)Verizon Wireless
2G Quad band GSM/EDGE (850/900/1800/1900 MHz)Dual band CDMA Cell and PCS (800/1900 MHz)
3GQuad-Band HSPA+ 1, 2, 5/6, 8 (850/900/1900/2100 MHz) Tri band HSPA+ 1, 5/6, 8 (2100/850/900 MHz) RFK121LW: Quad band HSPA+ 1, 2, 4, 5/6 (850/1700/1900/2100 MHz)
RFF91LW: Tri-band HSPA+ 1, 2, 5/6 (850/1900/2100 MHz)
Dual band CDMA(EVDO) Cell and PCS (800/1900 MHz)
Dual band UMTS (900/2100 MHz)
4G N/A Quad band LTE 3, 7, 8, 20 (1800/2600/900/800 MHz)Quad band LTE 2, 5, 4, 17 (700/850/1700/1900 MHz)LTE Band-13 (700 MHz)
Weight 135.4 g 136 g 136.3 g 137.5 g
SoC Texas Instruments OMAP 4470Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Plus (MSM8960)
CPU 1.5 GHz dual-core ARM Cortex-A91.5 GHz dual-core Krait
GPU PowerVR SGX544 + Vivante CGPU Adreno 225
ISMI Prefix35401005:RFG81UW; 35703305:RFG81UW 35489705:RFH121LW 35292105:RFF91LW; 35292205:RFF91LW; 35388705:RFK121LW; 35428905:RFK121LW; 35625105:RFK121LW 99000124:RFA91LW; 99000124:RFA91LW

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: BlackBerry 10 and the end of the "U-Turn" Button. Blackberry. 8 April 2013. April 14, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130411010131/http://blogs.blackberry.com/2013/04/end-of-the-u-turn/. 11 April 2013. dead.
  2. Web site: Blackberry Z10 Specs - Blackberry Touch Screen Display Specs - Canada. BlackBerry. October 10, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20130203103149/http://ca.blackberry.com/smartphones/blackberry-z10/specifications.html. 2013-02-03. dead.
  3. News: Press release: Research In Motion Changes Its Name to BlackBerry . Staff writer . RIMM . BlackBerry (Research in Motion Ltd.) . January 30, 2013 . February 2, 2013. WATERLOO, ON - Research In Motion (RIM) (NASDAQ: RIMM; TSX: RIM) has announced that it will now operate around the world under the iconic name BlackBerry, effective immediately. . https://web.archive.org/web/20130203105321/http://press.rim.com/press/2013/research-in-motion-changes-its-name-to-blackberry.html. 2013-02-03. dead.
  4. http://tremolo.edgesuite.net/blackberry_experience_launch/desktop_dvr/index.html The BlackBerry Experience
  5. News: Management shuffle at BlackBerry 'just the beginning'. The Globe and Mail. 25 November 2013 .
  6. Web site: BlackBerry Z10 Specs - Specifications for BlackBerry 10 Smartphone - Canada . Ca.blackberry.com . January 24, 2013 . February 15, 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130203103149/http://ca.blackberry.com/smartphones/blackberry-z10/specifications.html . 2013-02-03 . dead .
  7. Web site: Michaluk . Kevin . BlackBerry Z10 Review . January 30, 2013 . February 6, 2013.
  8. Web site: BlackBerry Z10 Smartphone - BlackBerry 10 Touch Phone - Canada . Ca.blackberry.com . January 24, 2013 . February 15, 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130511162030/http://ca.blackberry.com/smartphones/blackberry-z10.html . 2013-05-11 . dead .
  9. Web site: BlackBerry Z10 review: a new life, or life support?. Topolsky. Joshua. 2013-01-30. The Verge. en. 2020-02-25.
  10. Web site: Cunningham . Andrew . An imperfect ten: the BlackBerry Z10 smartphone review . Ars Technica . May 17, 2012 . February 3, 2013.
  11. Web site: Cunningham . Andrew . BlackBerry Z10 performance preview: Same Snapdragon, different OS . Ars Technica . January 31, 2013 . February 6, 2013.
  12. Web site: Johnson . Luke . Limited Edition red BlackBerry Z10 unveiled . Trusted Reviews . February 5, 2013 . July 3, 2022.
  13. Web site: Eastlink > Wireless > Phones > BlackBerry Z10. eastlink.ca. 2013-04-11. https://web.archive.org/web/20140917202428/http://www.eastlink.ca/desktopmodules/revindex.dnn.revindexstorefront/portals/0/gallery/wireless/productdetail/tabid/2105/rvdsfpid/156/default.aspx. 2014-09-17. dead.
  14. Web site: MTN launches BlackBerry 10. News24.
  15. Web site: BlackBerry Z10 Smartphone arrives Nigeria .. The Guardian Nigeria . February 27, 2013. March 17, 2013.
  16. Web site: Solavei Brings BlackBerry Z10 to the U.S. Early — For Nearly a Thousand Bucks . February 11, 2013.
  17. Web site: BlackBerry 10 U.S. Availability. blackberry.com. 2013-04-07. https://web.archive.org/web/20140715000839/http://blogs.blackberry.com/2013/03/blackberry-10-u-s-availability/?CPID=E20C139&DATE=032213. 2014-07-15. dead.
  18. Web site: Ronen Halevy. BlackBerry 10 Launches in Australia on Optus & Telstra This Week. Berry review. March 18, 2013. March 18, 2013.
  19. Web site: BlackBerry Z10 launches first on Vodafone. June 18, 2013. March 18, 2013. August 2, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130802092328/http://www.vodafone.co.nz/shop/mobileDetails.jsp?skuId=sku29150103. dead.
  20. Web site: Blackberry Z10 Sells for NT$19900 (Plan Free), Plans Will Be Announced on 15, April, 2013. https://archive.today/20130706144341/http://www.sogi.com.tw/newforum/article_list.aspx?topic_id=6212007. dead. July 6, 2013. Sogi! 手機王. April 14, 2010. April 14, 2013.