BlackBerry Z30 Finally Goes On Sale At Verizon For $199.99

BlackBerry Z30 fans — the wait is over.

After being announced earlier this month, the newest device from BlackBerry is finally available, with a listing showing up on Verizon’s website on Thursday. The smartphone is listed for $199.99 with a two-year commitment, or $549.99 on a month-to-month contract.

The BlackBerry Z30 is being called the best effort ever from the company that once owned the market for smart devices, but experts think it still may be too little too late for the company that has since been surpassed by other smartphone makers including Apple.

The newest BlackBerry to be released, the Z30 was intended to compete with the Motorola Droid Maxx and Samsung Galaxy S4, both also priced at $199.99.

The BlackBerry Z30 has some features that set it apart, like a smooth look and a battery that has a long life. It also comes with one of the biggest screens ever offered on a smartphone, a 5-inch display with 720p HD resolution. That doesn’t approach its competitors, however — the BlackBerry’s 295 pixels per inch is eclipsed by the Samsung Galaxy S4 with 468 ppi and the HTC One with 441 ppi.

CNet noted that the newest BlackBerry device also delivers superior sound.

“BlackBerry makes sure to tout the Z30’s noise cancellation abilities and the fact that its flagship handset boasts not just two but an array of four microphones,” the review noted. “The mics ring the phone, one on each of the Z30’s four edges, and they complement the device’s set of powerful stereo speakers (top and bottom). Indeed, the first time I fired up the music app and piped a tune through the Z30’s sound system I was shocked. The volume this phone’s tiny drivers can produce is phenomenally loud, with loads more sound than what you get from the HTC One and Motorola Droid Maxx — both of which have muscular stereo speakers.”

But the BlackBerry Z30 also has a less-than-stellar display, the review noted, and may not be enough to pull the company back in competition with Apple and the like.

The BlackBerry Z30 is available here.