The top-of-the-line BlackBerry Z30 is now officially available unlocked and SIM-free in the U.S., selling for $499 on the company's website.
The price is not very attractive, especially considering that BlackBerry devices are not exactly in high demand anymore, but those who were looking to purchase the handset unlocked and SIM-free can now do so.
Until now, the BlackBerry Z30 was only available in the U.S. through Verizon, which implied a two-year contract with the carrier. Big Red has the handset on sale for $199.99 on-contract, but some consumers prefer to purchase smartphones without having to commit to a lengthy carrier agreement.
Months after the BlackBerry Z30 first became available in the U.S., the company is finally selling the unlocked and SIM-free version of the smartphone through its website.
The BlackBerry Z30 was the first smartphone in the company's lineup to have a 5-inch display, and it comes with high-end specs and features compared to other BlackBerry handsets. As a reminder, the Z30 has a Super AMOLED touchscreen display with 720p resolution, a dual-core Snapdragon S4 Pro processor, 2GB of RAM, and 16GB of internal storage capacity. Other specs include an 8-megapixel rear camera with 1080p video recording capabilities, BlackBerry's Natural Sound technology for a high quality audio experience, and a 2,889 mAh battery that should provide up to 25 hours of mixed usage.
The BlackBerry Z30 supports BB 10.2.1, and it will likely come with the latest version of the OS preloaded out of the box. BlackBerry has lost significant ground in recent years and it's having a hard time staying relevant in today's highly-competitive smartphone market, but it's not ready to give up just yet. The company tried to make a comeback with its latest lineup of smartphones running BB10 OS, but without much success.
Making the BlackBerry Z30 available unlocked and SIM-free in the U.S. seems to be the company's latest effort to boost sales, but it remains to be seen whether it will lure enough customers.
If you're interested in purchasing a BlackBerry Z30 without committing to a carrier contract, you can now buy the unlocked smartphone from BlackBerry's online store at this link. The handset is currently available only in black and sports a $499 price tag.
