RIM (or, well, BlackBerry now) is taking the wraps off its reinvention today in New York City, showing off a new, modern set of software and hardware. But it hasn't lost the most beloved element of its past: the company's just announced the BlackBerry Q10, a new smartphone with a full QWERTY keyboard that will be instantly familiar to anyone who's ever seen a BlackBerry before. Make no mistake, the Q10 is a thoroughly modern smartphone: it runs RIM's new BlackBerry 10 OS, and has a 3.1-inch, 720 x 720 display above that full keyboard. But unlike the other BlackBerry models we've been hearing about, which prizes a large screen and a touch interface, the Q10 is all about the keyboard.
The BlackBerry Q10 is a QWERTY smartphone designed to compete in 2013
is editor-at-large and Vergecast co-host with over a decade of experience covering consumer tech. Previously, at Protocol, The Wall Street Journal, and Wired.
We don’t know much about the specs of the Q10, except that it has a “glass weave cover on the back” that Heins said is “thinner, lighter, and stronger than plastic.” The phone will be available in April around the world, but for now specific pricing and carrier information is hard to come by — though the Z10’s widespread support is a good sign if you’re looking to get your hands on BlackBerry’s keyboarded beauty.
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