BlackBerry Q5 price in US revealed: BB Q10 & Z10 more expensive

BlackBerry’s mid-range BB 10 handset is available in the US unlocked with $475 average price, much cheaper than the BlackBerry Q10 and Z10 which also run the latest mobile operating system of the Waterloo-based service and phone company.

July 17, 2013, 6:05 PM. Article by Carlo Raphael Diokno.

BlackBerry’s mid-range handset, the BlackBerry Q5, is now available in the US, though customers can’t still get it on a lower price point due to lack of carrier contract subsidy. A popular online retailer said they’re already shipping the BlackBerry 10-powered handset in America for $475 each, that’s more than $50 cheaper than the Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini, the plastic-made Android-based handset of Samsung Electronics.

It’s also worth noting that the BB Q5 is much cheaper than the two other BlackBerry 10 handsets. With unlocked SIM card slot, the BlackBerry Z10 is priced around $680, while the BlackBerry Q10 is on a higher price point $699. Similar to the Q10, the BlackBerry Q5 features a physical qwerty keyboard and a touchscreen display — while the Z10 offers an all-touch design that resembles the Android-based handset of Taiwan-based phone maker HTC, the HTC One.

For customers looking for a cheaper (upfront) BlackBerry phones, almost all major wireless carriers in the US are still selling the handset, except from Sprint that does not offer the Z10. Verizon Wireless and AT&T are already selling the physical keyboard-equipped Q10 for $199.99 with 2-year contract, while T-Mobile offers downpayment terms with upfront cost of $99.99 and monthly payment of $20 for 2 years. Meanwhile, the BB Z10 is priced $99.99 with 2 years service on AT&T and Verizon Wireless, and $99.99 with $18 per month on T-Mobile.

Aside from America, the BlackBerry Q5 is also available in other countries, especially on markets where BlackBerry remained a dominant smartphone player. In India where BlackBerry is still one of the top phone sellers, the Q5 is priced around $425 each. Similarly, both the Z10 and the Q10 are also available with $650 price tag.

BlackBerry’s BB 10 mobile operating system is similar to Android and iPhone, however, it still lacks the top applications. Mobile apps like Instagram, Vine, a native YouTube app, Dropbox and many others are still not available for download, however, BlackBerry’s system offers “sideloading” of Android applications, but the process would not be easy for regular customers.