Handset maker BlackBerry might be on the ropes, but it's battling on with a new bigger handset launched today, the Z30 flagship model.
The new device is built around Qualcomm's S4Pro 1.7GHz Krait processor with four cores, and features an Adreno 320 graphics unit.
All the usual sensors including accelerometer, magnetometer, proximity, gyroscope and ambient light ones are included.
GPS for location, Bluetooth Low Energy 4.0 and NFC for wireless personal area networking and payments and authentication are also built into the Z30.
The new BlackBerry Z30; photo credit Juha Saarinen
LTE 4G broadband in the Australian and New Zealand frequency bands is also included in the Z30 along with dual 2.4/5GHz 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi support, with a new antenna design that BlackBerry claims provides better connectivity in low-signal areas, resulting in fewer dropped calls and faster data transfers.
A quick feel of a prototype device by CRN sister-site, iTnews, showed that it follows in the footsteps of its predecessor, the Z10 handset, with similar build materials and design.
With a 1,280 by 720 pixel Super AMOLED 295 pixels per inch display that measures five inches diagonally, the Z30 is much bigger than the Z10 which measures 140.7 by 72 by 9.4 mm.
The back is detachable like on the Z10, and the final version will have a 2,880 mAh battery. BlackBerry promises up to 18 hours of talk time and 16 days of standby for the device. Audio playback is rated at 90 hours and video at 12 hours.
BlackBerry is sticking with a modest megapixel count for the Z30 camera. The camera has eight megapixel resolution and auto focus, through an f/2.2 lens with five elements and a five times digital zoom.
An LED flash is included and the rear camera is capable of 1080p high-definition video recording.
The Z30 also has a two-megapixel front facing camera that can record in 720p resolution and with stereo audio.
BlackBerry OS has been ratcheted up to version 10.2 on the Z30. The new features in the operating system upgrade include the BlackBerry Priority Hub for most important messages and notifications and previews for BlackBerry Messenger messages.
Mid-October is expected to be the launch time frame for the Z30 in Australia, although BlackBerry declined to say which carriers will retail the device and at what price.
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