With just four days to go until RIM’s global launch of BlackBerry 10, we’re beginning to feel as though we know almost everything there is to know about the new OS, as well as the first phones to carry its flag. One thing we don’t know however, is the price.
Thankfully that sort of information is held within retailer systems around the world right now, and you can always bet on a loose-lipped employee who’s only too happy to share the information. Engadget has obtained pricing for the BlackBerry Z10 thanks to a leaked screenshot from the internal Carphone Warehouse inventory system, which shows that the phone will cost £480 SIM-free.
The model number BLAZ10WHI matches up nicely with previous information we’ve spotted on the phone, which is set to be the first all-touch phone to run the new BlackBerry 10 software. There’s no sign of the X10 however; the QWERTY keyboard sporting other BlackBerry 10 phone that’s said to launch at the same time as the Z10.
We’re still none the wiser as to how much the Z10 will cost on contract, although judging by its SIM-free price we’d expect RIM to offer it free on contracts from around £31 per month in order to be competitive with the likes of the Samsung Galaxy SIII, iPhone 5 and HTC One X+.
Cheaper Apps
It looks as though RIM is giving its digital media store a big re-jig ahead of Thursday’s launch, with the entry level price for paid apps just being dropped. The lowest price BlackBerry users will pay for an app going forward will now be 75p, as opposed to the £1 asking price that was set before.
RIM recently rebranded the BlackBerry App World as just ‘BlackBerry World‘ to coincide with the addition of new apps, music and other digital content, ready for the launch of BlackBerry 10. The Canadian company says that the change has been made to ensure it stays competitive with rival platforms – the cheapest app on Android is 59p, and on iOS it’s 69p.
An impressive 75,000 apps minimum have been promised by RIM for the launch of BlackBerry 10, with many big names already on board.
Who can’t wait for BlackBerry 10 to launch?