BlackBerry Gets A Phablet; Announces New BlackBerry Z30 Smartphone with 5-inch Display and BlackBerry 10.2 OS

BlackBerry on Wednesday introduced its new BlackBerry Z30, the company’s biggest, smartphone. Featuring BlackBerry 10 OS version 10.2, the touchscreen BlackBerry Z30 smartphone comes with a 5-inch display and thanks tto its larger case size, the largest battery yet on a BlackBerry handset.

“The new BlackBerry Z30 smartphone builds on the solid foundation and engaging user experience of the BlackBerry 10 platform with features like the powerful BlackBerry Hub, its exceptional touchscreen keyboard and industry leading browser,” says Carlo Chiarello, Executive Vice President for Products at BlackBerry. “The smartphone rounds out the BlackBerry 10 portfolio and is designed for people looking for a smartphone that excels at communications, messaging and productivity. Having apps like the full Documents To Go suite that comes preinstalled, together with its 5” touch display, the BlackBerry Z30 smartphone gives you a best in class productivity experience on the go.”

BlackBerry says 10 OS version 10.2, includes hundreds of refinements plus many new features to help users be more productive. Among key features are:

BlackBerry Priority Hub
– BlackBerry Hub is the one place to manage all your conversations and notifications. The new BlackBerry Priority Hub can now learn what conversations and what people are important to you making it fast and easy to find the messages and information you need. It collects priority messages across your email, social networking and other accounts and gives you instant access to the conversations most important to you to help you stay organized and focused on the most important tasks.

BBM Now in Any App and Message Previews Everywhere
– BlackBerry 10 OS version 10.2 continues to refine the unique communications experience of the platform. You can now get a preview of any message as it arrives in whatever app you’re using, and immediately dismiss it or tap it to read the full content and respond. If a BBM message arrives, you can instantly reply to the message without even leaving the app you’re in. In addition, if your phone is locked, you can tap the various icons on the Lock Screen to see an instant preview of your most recent messages and notifications.

5-Inch Super AMOLED Display
– The BlackBerry Z30 features a 5-inch Super AMOLED display that makes whatever you’re running larger, clearer and more vivid than on a smaller panel. The z30 also features a 1.7 GHz processor with quadcore graphics that makes browsing web pages faster and games more detailed.

Stereo Audio and BlackBerry Natural Sound
– The BlackBerry Z30 smartphone comes with stereo speakers with BlackBerry Natural Sound, a new technology exclusive to BlackBerry and part of BlackBerry 10 OS version 10.2 that makes BBM Voice and BBM Video chats sound more natural and realistic. BlackBerry says Natural Sound lets you hear nuances and variations in tone, making conversations sound “like you’re in the same room.”

New Antenna Technology
– The BlackBerry Z30 smartphone features BlackBerry’s new generation antenna technology that they say dynamically tunes reception to give you better connectivity in low signal areas, claiming that the BlackBerry Paratek Antenna can give you faster data transfers and fewer dropped calls in low signal areas, keeping you connected in more places.
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Longer Battery Life
– The BlackBerry Z30 smartphone includes a 2880 mAh battery, the largest battery ever built into a BlackBerry smartphone. Combined with the battery enhancements in BlackBerry 10 OS version 10.2, BlackBerry claims you can get up to 25 hours of mixed use* on a charge, based on mixed usage scenario. Many factors affect battery life, including network connectivity, application usage, feature configuration and battery age. Actual results may vary.

The BlackBerry Z30 will roll out from select carriers and retailers around the world beginning next week in the UK and Middle East, and all other regions going into the holiday season. Specific pricing and availability will be announced by partners at the time of their respective launches. A variety of accessories including cases and chargers will also be available.

Subject to carrier approvals, BlackBerry 10 OS version 10.2 is expected to be available for the BlackBerry Z10, BlackBerry Q10 and BlackBerry Q5 smartphones beginning mid-October.

For more information about the BlackBerry Z30 smartphone, visit:
http://www.blackberry.com/blackberryz30

To view a video of the new Z30, visit:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQVKISYQ31s

For “How To” videos, visit:
http://demos.blackberry.com/blackberry-z30/na/ca/gen/index.html

Product page:
http://global.blackberry.com/smartphones/blackberry-z30.html