BlackBerry has introduced a new smartphone today. Yes, you read that right. BlackBerry has a new smartphone. Guess what? This phone doesn't look bad at all, either. In fact, it looks pretty great. If BlackBerry weren't about to be sold off for parts, and if the company had more apps in its store, I would even consider buying this phone. But, I'm getting ahead of myself. Take a look at the new BlackBerry Z30.

Inside the BlackBerry Z30

This phone is big and impressive - it really is. To put things into better perspective, here's what the Z30 includes in list form:

1. A 5-inch Super AMOLED screen
2. Quad-core graphics
3. 1.7GHz processor
4. A battery that lasts 25 hours between charges (2,880mAh unit)
5. BlackBerry 10.2

What's that? BlackBerry 10.2? That's right, with the new Z30 phone, BlackBerry is also launching a new platform. BlackBerry 10.2 includes some upgrades of note from the latest platform, the BlackBerry 10.1. Like what?

The New BlackBerry Hub

First, BlackBerry 10.2 includes a dedicated button. Second, the new platform comes with something called a 'Priority Hub.' This hub lets you add priority emails and messages to the notification center, so you'll know right away when a priority message arrives. You can customize and edit this hub too.

The other thing worthy of note here is the new notifications screen.

A New Lock Screen

BlackBerry 10.2 now includes notifications via lock screen. This means that you can get message, email, and other notifications (customizable through your settings tab) on your lock screen - but it's better than that. Instead of seeing all those things that you want to see directly on your lock screen right away, notifications only show up after you tap on a section of your home screen.

For example, if you tab on the messages part of your home screen, you will see any new messages appear right on your lock screen. This makes life a whole lot simpler when you're looking for quick details or trying to see if an email or message has arrived. This is, no doubt, a very cool feature. What else?

Other Updates and Features

Group notifications have been updated in the new BlackBerry 10.2, and there are lots of other customization options too. BlackBerry clearly spent a lot of time on the new platform, and the new Z30 is impressive as well. I know that BlackBerry is iffy right now, but I'm whole heartedly going to suggest that you check out the new Z30 when it does arrive. Why? Because this is one darn good phone.

Arrival Dates

The new BlackBerry Z30 phone will be on store shelves in the UK and the Middle East starting this week. North Americans will have to wait a while longer, since BlackBerry plans to release the phone in other countries around the holiday season. Hopefully, BlackBerry has planned this release date correctly, and people will begin to see the merit of this company and phone once again.