AT&T Mobility customers looking to take a trip back in time will have a new option later this week as the wireless carrier is set to begin offering BlackBerry’s Classic device.
The Classic is an update of BlackBerry’s Bold 9900 series device, including BlackBerry’s full keyboard design, trackpad and navigation keys. BlackBerry said the Classic sports up-to-date specifications, including a faster browser, longer battery life and a larger screen.
AT&T Mobility is pricing the Classic at $420 without a contract; $50 with a 2-year contract; or between $14 and $21 per month on one of its Next rate plans.
The carrier also plans to begin offering the BlackBerry Passport this week, which features a widened profile needed to support its 4.5-inch touchscreen. The device, which has been available through retailers since last year, also includes a full, physical keyboard, though with only three rows of keys.
The Passport is set to sell for $650 without a contract; $200 with a 2-year contract; or between $22 and $33 with one of AT&T Mobility’s Next rate plans.
The domestic carrier support is seen as key for BlackBerry as it attempts to regain ground in the U.S. market it at one time dominated. Currently, nationwide carriers offer BlackBerry’s Q10, Z10 and Z30 devices, with the BlackBerry operating system having fallen behind Apple’s iOS, Google’s Android and Microsoft’s Windows Mobile in terms of market share.
BlackBerry last year lost support from T-Mobile US as an outlet for its devices, with the operator offering customers a trade-in credit of up to $200 toward another device. T-Mobile US was at one time seen as the largest mover of BlackBerry devices into the domestic enterprise market.
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