BlackBerry Q10 now available, gets Skype preview

Even though BlackBerry unveiled the BlackBerry Q10 smartphone in late-January, prospective customers around the world are still waiting to get their hands on the device. But if you live in the UK the handset is available today from Selfridges. The BlackBerry Q10 will also arrive next week, starting May 1, in Canada.

At Selfridges, the BlackBerry Q10 is available to purchase outright for GBP579.99 which is quite expensive for any smartphone, let alone one with a QWERTY keyboard. For the money you get a 3.1-inch display with a resolution of 720 by 720 and a 330 ppi (pixels per inch) density, 8 MP back-facing camera with 1080p video recording, 16 GB of internal storage and 4G LTE cellular connectivity as the main features.

For the BlackBerry Q10 the Canadian manufacturer quotes 14.4 hours of standby time and up to 13.5 hours of talk time, both using 3G connectivity. The endurance is decent by today's standards but not impressive considering the small screen.

If you do decide to get a BlackBerry Q10 you should be pleased to know that Skype is also available, in preview trim, at launch. The app features the usual suspects like voice and video calling, instant and text messaging support as well as calls to mobile phones and landlines around the globe.

The app, according to the announcement, is designed with the BlackBerry Q10's display in mind. That means the interface is optimized for the square look of the panel. Also, Skype contacts are automatically imported to the smartphone's contact list, which should make it easier to call people, and notifications are displayed under the BlackBerry Hub.

BlackBerry also has a blog post on Skype's arrival which reveals an interesting tidbit related to BlackBerry 10.1. "Skype runs on the 10.1 Operating System on the BlackBerry Q10. As this new version of the BlackBerry 10 operating system launches on the BlackBerry Z10 in the coming weeks, BlackBerry Z10 owners will have the ability to download Skype for BlackBerry from BlackBerry World", says the manufacturer.

Skype for the Q10 is available to download from BlackBerry World now.