It wasn’t so long ago that BlackBerry launched its first BB10 phone, the Z10. Now, CNET reports that it’s planning a successor for later this year. Sources have said that the all-touch A10 will replace the Z10 as BlackBerry’s flagship phone, pushing the Z10 and keyboard-equipped Q10 to the middle of its lineup above the modest Q5. Sprint has apparently already agreed to support the A10 with a planned release in November, but that’s not exclusive, so we could see it on other carriers as well. Besides its top-tier designation, we know little about the phone’s specs or whether to expect an update to BlackBerry’s software as well.
BlackBerry reportedly releasing new flagship A10 phone in November
is a senior tech and policy editor focused on online platforms and free expression. Adi has covered virtual and augmented reality, the history of computing, and more for The Verge since 2011.
BlackBerry has previously said to expect at least six devices during 2013; we’ve currently seen three at the high and low end of the market. Sprint initially passed on the Z10 in favor of the Q10, but CNET’s sources now say it made a conscious decision to wait and focus resources on an A10 launch. We’ve heard before that Sprint was planning to launch a full-touch BB10 phone in the second half of this year; our sources described the phone as “version 2.0” of the Z10. CNET also says that BlackBerry was pressured to announce the A10 at its Live conference in May, but it opted not to, saying it was not yet ready.
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