Research In Motion Ltd (BBRY): Q10 Nears Its Royal Launch in U.K.

Research in Motion Ltd. (NASDAQ:BBRY) announced its new QWERTY-based Q10 smartphone device in January, at the time of its new BlackBerry 10 operating system and its flagship Z10 touchscreen device. With the QWERTY keyboards being so very popular among die-hard, loyal BlackBerry users over the years, there was a belief that there is some significant pent-up demand for BlackBerry users to be able to upgrade their devices after having theirs for the last two to four years.

Well, you QWERTY fans, your wait may soon be over. Reports are out that Research in Motion Ltd. is starting to take orders for its new BlackBerry Q10 handset with the QWERTY keyboard in the United Kingdom – where the Z10 first debuted on store shelves in February – and that this new flagship device would start shipping by the end of April. So far, the new phone has contracts to be carried by wireless carriers T-Mobile, Vodafone, Orange and TalkMobile, among others.

In terms of the U.S. market, there is no official word yet from the big three U.S. carriers – Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ), AT&T Inc. and Sprint Nextel Corporation (NYSE:S). The new BlackBerry Q10 by Research in Motion Ltd. is expected to retail for about $875 from Carphone Warehouse in the U.K. with no SIM card, though there is no word in the U.S. about the price with a two-year wireless contract.

What are your thoughts? Have you been holding out for a Research in Motion Ltd. QWERTY upgrade with the BlackBerry Q10? Would you be interested in BlackBerry now that the Q10 will soon come out? Have you been a BlackBerry user in the past? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.