BlackBerry is finally getting its touchscreen Z10 smartphone into stores this weekend, more than six weeks after the product launch. The delayed launch is probably due to carriers prioritizing testing for other smartphones that they expect to be more popular, such as the Samsung Galaxy S4.
AT&T Mobility will be the first to get the BlackBerry 10, with Verizon Wireless and T-Mobile USA to follow soon. While the new device is sure to attract some consumer interest, the real test for BlackBerry will be in the enterprise market, which is the company’s traditional stronghold. BlackBerry has won the loyalty of corporations and governments largely through the security and independence of its proprietary network.
But there are signs that even the company’s best customers may be having second thoughts. Today’s launch comes on the heels of reports that the U.S. Department of Defense plans to replace its BlackBerry devices with Apple products. BlackBerry and the Defense Department have both denied those reports.
“Our work with the U.S. Department of Defense is going well and the U.S. Department of Defense is moving forward with testing of BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 and the new BlackBerry Z10 smartphone,” the company said in a statement. “BlackBerry was the first to go through the new SRG (security requirement guide) process by the Defense Department and will be the first to successfully come out of it.”
BlackBerry is expected to launch its new Q10 smartphone with a QWERTY keyboard later this year. CEO Thorstein Heins has said the Q10 will come to carriers 8 to 10 weeks after the Z10, but the actual timing will depend on carrier testing.
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