Cell C launches BlackBerry Z10 in SA

2013-02-25 12:00

The new touch screen BlackBerry Z10 smartphone. (Lefteris Pitarakis, AP)

Chantelle Nicholas

Cape Town – Cell C announced that the new BlackBerry Z10 smartphone will be available from all its retail stores on Friday.

Cell C is offering South Africa’s smartphone users’ reliable network coverage and a wide range of BlackBerry deals and service plans paired with the new BlackBerry Z10 smartphone.

Cell C data costs have been popular with consumers and the operator was quick to re-enforce the BlackBerry 10 offering, despite the fact that the new platform will not be supported by BlackBerry Internet Service.

"Our existing BlackBerry plans have proven to be highly popular in the country, thanks to our competitive rates and added value bundles. We believe the new Cell C offers for BlackBerry 10 smartphones will prove equally popular," Cell C CEO, Alan Knott-Craig said.

Cell C Prepaid, Top Up and Postpaid customers who have a BlackBerry Z10 smartphone can select from three Cell C Service Plans to complement their current chosen subscription – The Lite Plan, The Essential Plan and The Premium Plan.

BBM

Customers who subscribe to any one of the Cell C Service Plans for the BlackBerry Z10 will receive unlimited BBM (BlackBerry Messenger) for life, including texting and file sharing – photos, video clips and voice notes. New BBM features, voice calling (free over Wi-Fi), video calling and screen sharing, are not part of the unlimited BBM offer.

The popular BlackBerry Internet Service (BIS) will also not be available on BlackBerry 10, but will continue on the BlackBerry 7 platform.

BBM Chat is free over Wi-Fi and will be charged as part of the data bundle if over the Cell C network.

A monthly data allocation is included with each Service Plan. Should the data allocation be depleted within the month, data will then be charged at the new out of bundle rate for BlackBerry customers at R0.15/MB.

The updated smartphone from Canadian-based BlackBerry was launched globally on 31 January 2013.

Cell C's announcement comes shortly after Vodacom and MTN said that it would also carry the BlackBerry Z10 last week.

The BlackBerry smartphone is available at prices starting at R389 per month on a Straight Up 100 Lite Plan from Cell C.


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- News24