Canadian smartphone maker BlackBerry officially launched its all-touchscreen BlackBerry Z10 in January 2013. The smartphone will be available via retailer Best Buy and U.S. carriers T-Mobile, Verizon and AT&T.
The BlackBerry Z10 was released in the UK and Canada on Jan. 31 and Feb. 5, respectively, and now, consumers in the U.S. will finally be able to lay their hands on the latest offering from the company.
With the major U.S. carriers gearing up to release the BlackBerry Z10, which carrier/retailer is the best pick of the lot for the BlackBerry Z10? Which one will you pick?
Here's a look at the prices and contract details, to help you plan and opt for the best deal:
AT&T
AT&T starts taking the pre-orders for the BlackBerry Z10 Tuesday, March 12, for $199.99 on a two-year contract. The smartphone will retail from AT&T stores beginning March 22.
"Beginning March 12, AT&T will kick-off consumer pre-sales of the BlackBerry® Z10 smartphone for $199.99 with a two-year agreement at https://www.att.com/z10. The smartphone will be generally available for all customers, including corporate customers or those receiving a corporate discount, through all AT&T channels on March 22," notes the AT&T press release.
To pre-order the BB Z10 from AT&T head here.
Verizon Wireless
Verizon is also gearing up to offer the BlackBerry Z10 in the U.S. in both black and white. However, the carrier is yet to open the pre-orders of the BlackBerry Z10 and its site says "coming soon."
"The first BlackBerry® 10 smartphone on America's largest 4G LTE network. Built to keep you moving. Coming soon," notes Verizon.
Verizon has disclosed that it will retail the smartphone for $199.99 on a two-year contract, which is similar to AT&T's pricing. However, it is not yet known when the carrier will open up pre-orders and start shipping the BB Z10.
T-Mobile
T-Mobile USA began offering the BlackBerry Z10 for its business customers Tuesday, March 11 for $249.99 on a two-year contract. The carrier is expected to launch the Z10 for non-business customers by the end of March.
"The BlackBerry Z10 will be available for pre-order for business customers starting on March 11 for $249.99 on a two-year Classic plan. Please note that pricing can be impacted by volume discounts and other factors, making the device even more cost effective. The consumer retail availability date and pricing will be shared at a later date," reads a T-Mobile statement to Engadget.
T-Mobile's variant of the BB Z10 is $50 more expensive than other carriers. In the past, the carrier has offered the Galaxy Note 2 for a higher price as well when compared to rival carriers.
Best Buy
Retailer Best Buy has announced that like AT&T, it will begin taking pre-orders for the BlackBerry Z10 from Tuesday, March 12, as well. Those interested can place orders in any of the Best Buy stores in the U.S.
"To go along with AT&T's official announcement, Best Buy has now confirmed they too will be taking preorders for the BlackBerry Z10 starting March 12. Preorders can be placed at any Best Buy location as well as over the 405 Best Buy Mobile locations across the U.S with the BlackBerry Z10 being available for purchase starting March 22," reports CrackBerry.
Sprint and U.S. Cellular
Sprint has confirmed that it will be offering the BlackBerry Q10 and not the Z10, unlike its rivals. Carrier U.S. Cellular is also missing from the list of network operators selling the BlackBerry Z10.
