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BlackBerry 10 local launch sketchy

Bonnie Tubbs
By Bonnie Tubbs, ITWeb telecoms editor.
Johannesburg, 31 Jan 2013
SA's operators are, on the whole, evasive with regards to commercial launch dates for BlackBerry's new smartphones.
SA's operators are, on the whole, evasive with regards to commercial launch dates for BlackBerry's new smartphones.

While all indications are that BlackBerry's new smartphones will be available in SA at the beginning of March, mobile operators are, on the whole, tight-lipped as to when they will actually start to stock the devices.

There is much excitement in the wake of yesterday's big unveiling - BlackBerry 10 and the two flagship devices that will initially be launched with it, the Z10 (touch-screen) and the Q10 (qwerty keyboard and touch-screen), and local BlackBerry fans want to know when the phones will be available in SA.

No concrete dates specific to SA were forthcoming from BlackBerry last night, but the company did announce the Z10 will go on sale in the UK today, and in Canada on 5 February. The company says it is still working with South African carriers to finalise availability, as well as local pricing.

8ta pre-orders

It is known that all major mobile operators in SA will sell BlackBerry 10 devices, but time frames are sketchy. While Vodacom, MTN and Cell C say they are unable to provide local launch details at this stage, Telkom's mobile arm 8ta has been less inhibited.

Yesterday, before the BlackBerry 10 launch, 8ta sent out a statement saying deals and devices for the new platform would be available, in store, as of 1 March.

"Customers can pre-order the BlackBerry 10 devices and deals for delivery on 1 March 2013. Pre-orders will qualify for exclusive BlackBerry 10 accessories. Details of the BlackBerry offers will be made public in due course."

Vodacom says it is still testing the devices with BlackBerry and the launch plans for BlackBerry 10 have not yet been finalised. "An announcement will be made closer to the time of launch."

Meanwhile, the operator has told its Twitter followers to "keep their eyes on their timeline" for news and developments regarding BlackBerry 10.

Wait and see

Ryan Gould, GM of brand and communication at MTN SA, says the company will carry the BlackBerry 10 devices and is "excited at the possibilities that the new operating system brings for customers". Gould says MTN will make an announcement on pricing and availability in due course.

Cell C says it is presently unable to answer questions about the commercial availability of BlackBerry 10.

At this stage, only the Z10 is on the cards, with the mid-level model, the Q10's, commercial launch set for an as yet undisclosed date.

Rory O'Neill, VP Product & Channel Marketing at BlackBerry, says there will ultimately be a wide range of BlackBerry 10 devices. SA, he says, will get the HSPA variant at launch, but BlackBerry is working with its carrier partners to introduce the LTE/4G variants too.

While local pricing is still to be determined, as an indication the US pricing for the Z10 starts at $199 (about R1 800) on a subsidised contract, and $599 (about R5 400) on an unsubsidised contract.

O'Neill confirmed the new BlackBerry 10 devices will not be bundled with the BlackBerry Internet Service, but the service will continue to be available for BlackBerry 7.

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