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Carriers throw support behind new BlackBerry 10 smartphones

Verizon, AT&T, and Sprint have all promised to sell new BlackBerry devices in the coming weeks and months.

Jessica Dolcourt Senior Director, Commerce & Content Operations
Jessica Dolcourt is a passionate content strategist and veteran leader of CNET coverage. As Senior Director of Commerce & Content Operations, she leads a number of teams, including Commerce, How-To and Performance Optimization. Her CNET career began in 2006, testing desktop and mobile software for Download.com and CNET, including the first iPhone and Android apps and operating systems. She continued to review, report on and write a wide range of commentary and analysis on all things phones, with an emphasis on iPhone and Samsung. Jessica was one of the first people in the world to test, review and report on foldable phones and 5G wireless speeds. Jessica began leading CNET's How-To section for tips and FAQs in 2019, guiding coverage of topics ranging from personal finance to phones and home. She holds an MA with Distinction from the University of Warwick (UK).
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BlackBerry Z10
BlackBerry Z10 Josh Miller/CNET

Minutes after BlackBerry CEO Thorsten Heins introduced the two new BlackBerry smartphones, U.S. carriers began releasing statements to officially back the new devices.

Verizon was the first to announce it would sell the touchscreen BlackBerry Z10 and Q10with QWERTY keyboard, going so far as to attach a price -- $199 on contract. Big Red also said it would exclusively sell the Z10 in white in addition to its all-black color.

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AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile also came forward today, with Sprint committing to a 4G LTE BlackBerry Q10, and AT&T backing both. T-Mobile said in a statement that it will sell the touchscreen Z10.

Conspicuously absent are the phones' release dates. Prior to the launch, a BlackBerry representative told CNET to expect the Z10 to arrive in March, and Heins himself pitched an April time frame for the keyboard-bearing Q10.

In addition to launching an overhauled BlackBerry 10 operating system, CEO Heins put the old company name, RIM, to bed, declaring the from now on, BlackBerry the device and BlackBerry the company would be one and the same.

Watch this: BlackBerry Z10: Not your father's BlackBerry

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