U.S. consumers hoping to get their hands on the BlackBerry Z10 may want to look to AT&T; new rumors say the mobile carrier will be the first to get the new BlackBerry 10 phone into the hands of the public on Mar. 15.
If true, that would mean AT&T has leapfrogged T-Mobile, which had stated previously that it wanted to be the first carrier to offer the Z10 in the United States. Still, rumors are circulating that business customers can get the Z10 from T-Mobile by Mar. 11, but that doesn't help the average consumer, who may need to wait until the 27th.
Whoever offers the Z10 first, it won't be Sprint, as the carrier has declined to offer the Z10, opting to wait for the QWERTY keyboard-equipped BlackBerry Q10, due in a few months.
Retailers in Europe have slashed prices on the Z10 this week, fueling fears that sales are low, but no concrete numbers have been released. BlackBerry will divulge its fourth quarter sales figures on Mar. 28, but until then, conflicting reports say alternately that the Z10 is performing poorly, or that it is sold out in some locations.
Still, anticipation is high for the phone, and those who have bought it, either overseas or unlocked without a contract, have generally been quite pleased with it, particularly BlackBerry enthusiasts and brand loyalists happy to have their favorite features in a full-equipped smartphone.
It remains to be seen whether BlackBerry can break back into the mobile phone market it once dominated. Now Apple and Samsung have a virtual duopoly, and BlackBerry must contend with HTC and Sony for a small piece of market share.
Check back for the latest information on the Z10 as it becomes available.
- Contribute to this Story:
- Send us a tip
- Send us a photo or video
- Suggest a correction
