New BlackBerry Q5 to Hit Select Markets in July

When BlackBerry unveiled its first BlackBerry 10 device, the BlackBerry Z10, earlier this year, the company also made it clear that another device, the BlackBerry Q10, would be on the way this year too. Considering the fact that the Z10 is a touchscreen-only device and the company hasn't had much success with devices that lack its trademark keyboard, this was definitely a good move.

However, BlackBerry never said there wouldn't be more BB10-based devices on the way; on the contrary, new CEO Thorsten Heins said to expect more. Enter the newly announced BlackBerry Q5.

Like the Q10, the Q5 sports a QWERTY keyboard as well as a "confident design," and should provide a "fast, effortless" experience, according to a post on the official BlackBerry blog. Introduced onstage at BlackBerry Live, the Q5 is a lower-end version of the Q10 aimed more at users in the developing world. Indeed, the device will be available in selected markets in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Latin America as of July.

The Q5's keyboard features keys that have been re-engineered and designed to facilitate fast, accurate typing with minimal effort. This focus on ease of use seems to be a major theme for the Q5, as it also features Instant Action shortcuts that allow users to perform certain tasks more quickly.

Of course, the Q5 also sports a 3.1-inch touchscreen, allowing users to get around BB10 in much the same manner as the Z10 and Q10. Furthermore, the phone sports a dual-core processor clocked at 1.2GHz, a five megapixel rear-facing camera, two megapixel front-facing camera and 8GB of internal storage, which can be expanded via microSD. Surprisingly, the device also boasts a 2,100mAh battery — the same size found in the Samsung Galaxy S III — so it should offer excellent battery life.

“BlackBerry is excited to bring the new BlackBerry Q5 smartphone to our customers in selected markets around world,” said Heins. “The BlackBerry Q5 gives you the best of everything with its cutting-edge BlackBerry 10 functionality and a physical QWERTY keyboard. It is for youthful fans that are passionate, confident and bold, and it makes it easy for them to have fun, create, share and stay connected.”