Hasta La Gadget!

Skype has landed for BlackBerry 10, but would-be VoIP users will need a Q10 initially, until BlackBerry updates its initial Z10 smartphone. The new app, confirmed as incoming only earlier this week, offers voice and video calling, instant messaging, and text messaging, just like Skype on other mobile platforms; however, it requires BlackBerry 10.1, loaded from the off on the newer Q10, but still pending for the Z10.

That puts the potential audience for Skype on BlackBerry 10 relatively low, at least for the moment, though plans to update Z10 devices to OS 10.1 are already afoot. Skype says that BlackBerry expects that to happen “in the near future” at which point the app will install.

Though described as a “preview”, Skype for BlackBerry 10 does show some significant integration into the core platform. Based on a port of the Android version, rather than built natively for BB10 from the ground up, it has a new UI – suited to the Q10′s squared-off touchscreen – and automatically funnels Skype contacts into the smartphone’s phonebook.

There’s also Skype notification support in the BlackBerry Hub, which means incoming chat requests, file transfers, and contact invite requests – among other things – will pop up in the unified inbox BlackBerry refined for its latest platform. The app can be used for sharing photos, videos, and other files, as well as for making SkypeOut calls to phones not using Skype.

Skype for BlackBerry 10 is already in the BlackBerry World store, where it’s a free download.

Skype hits BlackBerry 10, but the Z10 is out of luck for now is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

This week the BlackBerry Q10 has been ushered in to the United States smartphone market with announcements from carriers across the board, starting with T-Mobile. As T-Mobile noted earlier today, they’ll be bringing pre-orders to the web starting on the 29th of April with business customers first up for in-hand action. This follows the strategy delivered with T-Mobile’s push for the BlackBerry Z10 earlier this year.

With the BlackBerry Q10, the company delivers its QWERTY smartphone experience for their full-fledged BlackBerry 10 mobile operating system launch. This device works with a display that’s a little over half the size of their Z10 model and offers a full physical keyboard in portrait mode.

The release of the BlackBerry Q10 will tend to traditional-style BlackBerry users as the original BlackBerry craze centered around physical keyboards and internet connectivity primarily. Though we’ve not yet seen a BlackBerry 10 device coming with a trackball between the display and the keyboard, we wouldn’t put it out of BlackBerry’s range of possibilities.

Have a peek at our timeline of BlackBerry Q10 bits and pieces below and get ready for the final launch of the Q10 for more than just business users. If what we’ve seen with the Z10 remains true of the Q10, this launch will be decent, if not simply satisfying for traditional BlackBerry fans.

BlackBerry Q10 appears in USA with T-Mobile, business first is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

The BlackBerry Q10 has yet to be released in North America, but it looks like a new patent awarded to BlackBerry may very well hint at a new BlackBerry 10 device.

We’ve already seen the touchscreen-based BlackBerry Z10, the QWERTY-keyboard equipped BlackBerry Q10, but a new patent awarded to BlackBerry might hint at a new slider phone. The USPTO document was initially filed back in December 2011 and doesn’t go into detail as to what BlackBerry has planned for this device. Instead, it features a design for a device that looks like a BlackBerry Z10 with a physical keyboard tucked underneath the display, similar to BlackBerry’s Torch series of devices. (more…)

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: More Light On Nokia And HTC Microphone Snafu, BlackBerry Q10 Confirmed To Cost $249 On Contract,

While the official release of the BlackBerry Q10 has still not been confirmed for any USA-based mobile carriers, the UK-based Vodafone has made it clear that April 26th will be the day they begin having the device in-stock. The BlackBerry Q10 is the physical QWERTY keyboard-toting hero phone for BlackBerry 10, the company’s newest operating system release. You’ll also find the BlackBerry Z10 already available across the world – that being the full-touch hero for BlackBerry 10.

With the BlackBerry Q10 you’ll be seeing pre-orders beginning from today at Vodafone – grab one if you’re living in the United Kingdom only! If you do want one and live inside the UK, you’re in luck: Vodafone has promised that this device is one of the first to have the built-in ability to work with the 4G LTE networks appearing soon throughout the region!

Here in the USA we’re expecting this device to also appear with 4G LTE capabilities built-in as the device will be appearing on several networks with 4G LTE as a standard feature on all smartphones. The BlackBerry Q10 is also a device we’ve had some hands-on time with – have a peek at our BlackBerry Q10 hands-on experience right this minute, or stick around for the preview video here:

This BlackBerry Q10 device is working with a 3.1-inch touchscreen with 330 PPI resolution and Super AMOLED technology. Below this display you’ll find the device’s full physical QWERTY keyboard and a full rounded-edged body that’ll have BlackBerry addicts screeching for joy. Keep your eyes peeled for more BlackBerry Q10 action in the near future right here on SlashGear!

[via Vodafone]

BlackBerry Q10 release set for April 26th in UK is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

BlackBerry’s Z10 has made itself available in the U.S., but it looks like according to a recently published poll, there might be more people who are oblivious to the device being available than there are that know they can pick one up right now.

The poll was commissioned by research firm MKM Partners which found 83 percent of 1,500 Americans questioned weren’t aware BlackBerry 10 had officially launched. If that number doesn’t spell trouble for BlackBerry, then how about 6 percent of those questioned said they would make their next phone a BlackBerry device. Yea – that number is just as bad as the 83 percent. (more…)

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Nokia Lumia 620 Firmware Gets Global Rollout, Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3 Pre-Order Listed At €699,