Axiom Telecom has announced the launch of the all-new BlackBerry Z10 smartphone, powered by BlackBerry 10, starting February 16.

The smartphone is available in black or white and is retailing for SR2,599 ($693.07), a statement from the company said.

Axiom Telecom has experienced one of its best-ever pre-booking campaigns for the device, with 4,250 orders recorded in the first 48 hours. It became the first retailer in Saudi Arabia to offer pre-bookings this month.

“The all-new BlackBerry Z10 is already shaping up to be one of Saudi Arabia’s best-selling smartphones for 2013,” said Faisal Al Bannai, CEO, Axiom Telecom.

“BlackBerry’s renaissance has been a major talking-point among industry experts and customers alike, and I am pleased to say that it has delivered a truly competitive new device in the shape of the BlackBerry Z10. The customer buzz that has been steadily building over the past few weeks is reflected in our strong pre-order figures, which clearly reinforces the notion that the Saudi Arabia is one of most enthusiastic and vibrant BlackBerry markets in the world.”

The new BlackBerry Z10 is the first smartphone based on the re-designed, re-engineered and re-invented BlackBerry 10 platform, giving customers a powerful and unique new mobile computing experience.

The smartphone is the fastest and most advanced BlackBerry handheld yet, and offers customers a smarter experience that continuously adapts to their needs.

Axiom has worked overtime to bring the BlackBerry Z10 to market with a host of associated incentives and support services, the statement said.

Axiom offers a one-hour BlackBerry smartphone repair guarantee (a replacement is provided free of charge if the smartphone is not repaired within the hour), as well as free regional warranty.

The BlackBerry Z10 features a 1.5 Ghz dual core processor with 2GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage, and an expandable memory card slot. The device comes with a 4.2-inch screen with a resolution of 1280 x 768 pixels, giving it a pixel density of 356 ppi, an 8-megapixel camera with auto focus and a 2-megapixel front facing camera. The cameras will have 1080p video recording, all of which will be powered by an 1800 mAh removable battery.

The BlackBerry Z10 also features a micro HDMI outport for presentations, and advanced sensors such near field communications (NFC) to support mobile payments and the exchange of information with a tap of the smartphone.

With 2,000 employees, Axiom Telecom is one of the Middle East’s largest mobile retailers, currently boasting a portfolio of 575 retail points and reaches over 3,742 points of sale across the region.

In addition to a growing reputation for its rapid launches, Axiom Telecom stands out for a host of customer service innovations such as a 60-second data transfer, a pick-up and delivery service for repairs, stand-by phones during the repair period, and a two-year warranty on select brands. – TradeArabia News Service