The latest BlackBerry smartphone has been released in Australia, providing users with a familiar, business-orientated device that has just been made available from Telstra.
The BlackBerry Classic includes 16GB worth of storage, a 35-key backlit Qwerty keyboard, and a 3.5-inch 720×720 screen.
Applications are powered by a dual-core 1.5Ghz Snapdragon processor and 2GB of RAM, which doesn’t really push the graphics department, but should be just fine for business-focused users.
“We’re delighted to partner with Telstra to launch our latest device, which is purpose-built for Australian customers who just want to get things done,” Matthew Ball, Managing Director for BlackBerry in Australia, said.
“The BlackBerry Classic is the powerful communication tool that many of our previous BlackBerry Bold and Curve users have been waiting for – a secure device that feels familiar in your hands, but with the added performance and agility for optimal productivity when you’re on the move.”
BlackBerry is highlighting three particular “upgrades” from the BlackBerry Bold 9900:
– The BlackBerry 10 browser, which HTML5TEST.com claimed was amongst the top mobile browsers for web fidelity.
– 60 per cent more screen space
– Longer battery life, which will apparently provide users with up to 22 hours of power.
Text messages, email, BBM, intranet, files, and calendar can be viewed through devices via a secure connection, thanks to the pre-installation of BlackBerry Blend.
The preloaded inclusion of the BlackBerry 10.3.1 operating system also includes BlackBerry Assistant and the Amazon App Store.
The BlackBerry Classic will set you back $504 outright here in Australia and $450 in the U.S. The ‘medium’ Telstra 24-month plan will cost users $70 per month, which includes $700 worth of calls and MMS, unlimited text messages, 1.5GB of data.
