Blackberry Z30 Review, Update: 5-inch Smartphone W/720 AMOLED Display, 1.7GHz Processor Now Available Unlocked For $499; Quad-Core Handset Coming Soon

Blackberry Z30 review, update: The 5-inch smartphone described by Blackberry as its “biggest, fastest and most advanced smartphone” is now available unlocked for $499 from ShopBlackBerry.com. The Blackberry Z30 sports a 720 AMOLED display, a 1.7 GHz processor, and 2GB of RAM.

Phone Arena notes that according to Blackberry, the Z30 has a 2800mAh battery that is coupled with software optimizations and can offer 50% more battery life than its current competitors. Camera-wise, the unit has an 8MP camera with Auto Focus, 5x digital zoom and an LED flash. The gadget-focused site notes that the large five element lens with an aperture of f/2.2 means that the unit can capture a lot of light, thus resulting in great shots.

The snapper of the Blackberry Z30, as expected is capable of 1080P video capture and comes with what the company calls a “Time Shift.” The feature basically allows you to choose and adjust faces from several snaps. In terms of connectivity options, the Blackberry Z30 has GPS, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0 LE, NFC and a microHDMI port.

In what CNET counts as a plus for the unit, it noted that the Blackberry Z30 is equipped with a big screen, long battery life, and excellent messaging capabilities. The tech site also noted that it has great call quality.

A key downside that CNET sees on the unit is that the Blackberry 10.2 software is bogged down with unnecessary eye candy. It’s performance still lags behind iOS and Android in both number and app quality. Although Phone Arena earlier noted that the Z30’s camera takes great shot, CNET says otherwise, claiming that it takes unimpressive pictures.

The unit’s device was initially only available in the U.S. through Verizon. The handset was on-sale for $199 with Big Red. Some consumers have opted to purchasing the smartphone without the commitment of a contract.