AT&T to Begin BlackBerry Z10 Pre-Orders Tuesday

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If you’ve been anxiously waiting for your chance to buy one of the new BlackBerry Z10 smartphones, your wait is almost over. AT&T has announced that it will begin selling the phone March 22, and pre-orders will begin March 12.

Bloomberg’s Scott Moritz reported, “AT&T Inc. (T), the second-largest U.S. wireless carrier, will begin taking consumers’ orders for BlackBerry’s new flagship Z10 phone tomorrow, ahead of the device going on sale March 22. The Z10 will sell for $199.99 with a two-year agreement, Dallas-based AT&T said today in a statement.”

PCMag’s Angela Moscaritolo noted, “The BlackBerry Z10 is the first smartphone to launch with the re-designed BlackBerry 10 operating system. It will also be the first BlackBerry smartphone to run on AT&T’s 4G LTE network, which is now operational in 143 markets. Described by AT&T as ‘the fastest and most advanced BlackBerry smartphone yet,’ the Z10 is a slab-style, touch-based device that features a 4.2-inch display with 356 pixels per inch. It comes with a slew of new features, including Screen Share and BlackBerry Hub, which acts as a central location for emails and conversations.”

CNET’s Marguerite Reardon observed, “The launch of the BlackBerry Z10 is a big deal since there is so much riding on its success. BlackBerry devices, which once dominated smartphone sales in the U.S., have fallen from favor in the U.S. over the past couple of years as American consumers have snapped up Apple’s iPhone and a bevy of Google Android devices. RIM has been working on the new BlackBerry 10 software in an effort to take on these competitors, but the company has been plagued by a series of delays.”

ZDNet’s Matthew Miller commented, “The Z10 is the best BlackBerry device I have ever personally used and it will be interesting watching the first real new BlackBerry US launch in a couple years.”