BlackBerry announces Q10 launch in Canada on May 1 for $199 with a 3-year contract at Rogers, Bell, and Telus

BlackBerry on Tuesday announced the BlackBerry Q10 will be launching in Canada first on May 1. Those interested will be able to get it from Rogers Wireless, Bell Mobility, and Telus starting at $199 with a three-year contract.

While those are the three biggest carriers in Canada, the device will also be available on Virgin Mobile Canada, Fido, Koodo Mobile, and Sasktel. Canadians will be able to buy it in store at The Source, Best Buy, and Future Shop, but BlackBerry wouldn’t give timing details for these.

BlackBerry is of course planning to launch the Q10 globally as well, but it hasn’t (yet) provided specific dates for its international arrival. Many expect the device to launch in the US very soon (either in May or June), and especially so as it hit FCC testing on April 17.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYKFpEOSyUQ

Yet BlackBerry fans shouldn’t hold their breath as the pricing for the Q10 isn’t very competitive. In fact, it is more expensive than the Z10, which at launch was priced at $149 in Canada and in many cases has already dropped down to $99.

The higher Q10 pricing is an interesting move by the Canadian company, given that it is known for its QWERTY devices. Many BlackBerry fans would undoubtedly like to see the Q10 priced lower, if not at the same level, as the Z10.

That being said, we don’t recommend anyone buying the Q10 at launch. If the Z10 is any indication, its price will likely drop. We would thus wait a few weeks to see if it does, and only then take the plunge. For those who love their tactile keyboards, there still isn’t anything better than a BlackBerry.

See also – Review: With its US launch, can the Z10 save BlackBerry from itself? and BlackBerry has shipped 1 million Z10 smartphones, but is that enough to compete for third place?

Top Image credit: Abdulaziz Almansour