After Samsung unveiled its newest Galaxy Note phablet and Apple Inc. announced the new iPhone 5c and iPhone 5s, BlackBerry decided it wanted some of the smartphone fever. So on Wednesday, it unveiled its newest flagship, the BlackBerry Z30.
BlackBerry unleashed the new Z30 in a YouTube video, detailing some of the new specs and features that will accompany the launch of its new flagship smartphone. The BlackBerry Z30 is the struggling company's first 5-inch slate, joining the party a little late, but at least in the video unveiling, it does show some promise. How much promise? Take a look and decide for yourself.
After months of rumors about the BlackBerry Z30, we finally get a (brief) look at the device. The new features include an AMOLED screen, stereo speakers and a bigger battery, along with the updated BlackBerry 10.2 operating system. A price hasn't been given, but, according to CNET, the BlackBerry z30 will hit stores in the U.K. and Middle East next week, with other markets getting the device in time for the holiday shopping season. A previous report (back when it was called the A10) said that the Z30 could get a release date with Sprint in the coming months.
Display
The BlackBerry Z30 was rumored to get a 5-inch display for a while, and judging from the video (always a tricky proposition) the resolution looks great. It was rumored to have 720p HD, but specs on the AMOLED screen's resolution aren't available just yet. Whether the 5-inch BlackBerry Z30 will be enough to spur sales - which have been so disappointingly low with BlackBerry's Z10 and Q10 precursors that the company may be sold by November - is yet to be seen as well.
Processor
The BlackBerry Z30 has a 1.7GHz processor with quad cord graphics, but the exact type of processor is still unknown. It's been rumored to have a Snapdragon S4 Pro, and CNET is betting that Motorola's X8 chip, which includes the S4 Pro and quad core Adreno graphics, is the most likely choice.
Battery
BlackBerry is touting an even longer-lasting battery - a 2,880 mAh beast - that will come in the BlackBerry Z30. That's much larger than the Z10's 1,800 mAh battery, but the BlackBerry Z30 will need it to get 25 hours of moderate use out of a device with a 5-inch screen.
BB 10.2
In the video, BlackBerry shows off the newest version of BlackBerry 10, 10.2. You see the BlackBerry Hub pulling emails, social media, texts, messages, and other conversations into one spot, and the new "Priority Hub" promises to analyze your correspondence and intelligently prioritize them according to who you contact the most. BlackBerry 10.2's multi-screen multitasking mode and customizable intelligent keyboard are also touted in the video as well. Finally, there's "Time Shift," which is BlackBerry's version of the 'best photo' burst mode software that Android, and now Apple, also support.
Speakers
The BlackBerry Z30 comes with a new stereo speaker system called "Natural Sound." It seems like the company is taking a page out of HTC's "BoomSound" strategy, but gearing it towards business use - i.e., video chatting.
Look
The BlackBerry Z30 looks a little like an HTC One on the bottom front, and a little like a Samsung Galaxy S4 on the front top. Nothing about the design looks very revolutionary: the bezels aren't very thin - meaning this 5-inch phone will be pretty wide and tall - and the chassis doesn't look very slim either. However, the back of the device features a nice faux cross-thatch design that is rather attractive.
Will these modest improvements be enough to bring BlackBerry out of its tailspin? Do you think there are more features on the way? Will we even see the BlackBerry Z30 state-side before the company goes up for sale and changes dramatically? We'll see.
Are you excited by the BlackBerry Z30, or are there so many high-end smartphones hitting the market that you don't even consider a new BB smartphone as an interesting option? Let us know in the comments below.