The BlackBerry Z10 for AT&T is expected to be released on March 22nd according to a couple of sources. The carrier has already stated its interest in wanting to be the first to bring the new BlackBerry 10 handset to the U.S. while T-Mobile has also shared their plans of wanting to launch the model earlier than they initially planned to.The BlackBerry Z10 is already available in 21 countries, but the Canadian manufacturer is eager to bring their platform and handsets to the United States, which traditionally generates 20% of its sales. There is no assurance that BlackBerry can generate the same interest in a smartphone market rules by iOS and Android, but they will definitely try.
Meanwhile Verizon is expected to release their own version of the Z10 by the end of the month and even plan to offer an exclusive white version.
Sprint has no plans to offer the all touch BlackBerry Z10 but will offer the more traditional BlackBerry Q10 with its QWERTY keyboard in May or June. The other major carriers in the U.S. also plan to bring the Q10 to their lineup.
The vigorous testing requirements of the U.S. carriers is cited as the reason behind the delay in bringing the platform to the U.S. while it is already making its rounds globally.
source – Bloomberg