Camera-free BlackBerry Q10 is "technically possible" - CNET

During a media session, BlackBerry Singapore's country director Charles Dufourcq said that a camera-free version of the BlackBerry Q10 is "technically possible". He said removing the camera module isn't a difficult task, but a new manufacturing line would be required to assemble such a version. Whether the company would put in effort to make a camera-free Q10 would depend on demand by carriers, and as of now, there are no plans to do so. The BlackBerry Q10 is the second smartphone from the company to sport its latest BlackBerry 10 OS, after the full-touchscreen Z10. Its main defining feature is the physical QWERTY keyboard, something many BlackBerry fans still look for in a smartphone. Sporting premium chassis materials and specs such as a high-resolution screen and LTE connectivity, the Q10 is not a budget device, though a lower-cost version called the R10 is rumored to be announced soon. Read our full review of the BlackBerry Q10 here. The Q10 will be available in Asia by the end of May. Malaysia will be the first country to get it on May 15, followed by Singapore. It will then be launched for the rest of Asia within two months after Malaysia. The retail price of the Q10 in Singapore is S$898 (US$721.52), without operator subsidies. Note that the smartphone will be sold through operators in countries where it is available, so wait for local telcos to announce subsidized prices if you are going that route. The BlackBerry Q10 was launched with an update of the OS to version 10.1. In this update, Chinese handwriting input has been improved so recognizing the user's scribbling becomes more accurate. There's still no Japanese text input though a BlackBerry spokesperson said that will be coming soon. Another point to note for buyers in Malaysia is that Bahasa Malaysia is currently not available in the list of input languages, though Bahasa Indonesia is. About the author Editor John Chan's love for gadgets can be traced back to the days when he disassembled his toys and couldn't put them back together again. He practices great restraint in not opening up every review product that comes through the CNET Asia Labs, and before that, in his previous job at HardwareZone. He has reviewed items big and small, from mobile phones to projectors and feels everyone should carry a multitool at all times in case of MacGyver situations. John Chan, Editor via Technology - Google News http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNFrwIJEqWVtbtZ9tO1rHNW_b8ru9w&url=http://asia.cnet.com/camera-free-blackberry-q10-is-technically-possible-62221363.htm

Put the internet to work for you. via Personal Recipe 2598265