BB Again! Blackberry Unveils All-Touch Z30

Blackberry has officially unveiled its new all-touch smartphone as it ramps up attempts to claw back its share of the market.

Featuring BlackBerry 10 OS version 10.2, the new all-touch BlackBerry Z30 smartphone, comes with a 13cm display and the largest battery ever to be built into a BlackBerry smartphone.

It also boasts technology designed to boost connectivity in low-signal areas.

The BlackBerry Z30 features a 5″ AMOLED display with 720p resolution, faster chipset, more battery life (with a bigger battery and software enhancements in BB OS 10.2).

The Z30 also boasts a new antenna design and stereo speakers with Natural Sound tech.

The new OS version also has some enhancements to the already impressive messaging capabilities of BlackBerry OS 10. The Hub has grown a Priority section that learns who in your messaging history is important and collects priority messages from all accounts (email, social networking and other sources). BBM Now and Message Preview give you a peek at new messages without having to leave the app and you can even respond to BBM messages.

BlackBerry’s announcement comes two days before Apple’s new iPhone hits shelves on Friday.

Latest findings from market research firm Kantar Worldpanel ComTech show BlackBerry had been the third most popular operating system (OS) this time last year, but sales have tailed off – commanding just 3.5 per cent of the market share, down from 11 per cent in Britain a year ago.

Blackberry’s Carlo Chiarello said the new smartphone built on the solid foundation of the BlackBerry 10 platform with features like the BlackBerry Hub, the touchscreen keyboard and industry-leading browser.

“The smartphone rounds out the BlackBerry 10 portfolio and is designed for people looking for a smartphone that excels at communications, messaging and productivity,” she said.

The Z30 will be available from select carriers and retailers in the UK and Middle East from the beginning of next week, with availability being rolled out in all other regions going into the holiday season.

Queues of eager customers have already formed in readiness for Apple’s new 5S device, said to be twice as fast as its predecessor, which allows users to unlock their phone with the touch of a finger.