The new BlackBerry Q10 might not arrive in the US until May or June, a month or two behind other parts of the world, the chief executive of the smartphone maker suggested in an interview.
Research in Motion (RIM) had last week said the Q10 should be available through some carriers around the world in April, but it wouldn't say at the time whether any were in the US.
Although RIM CEO Thorsten Heins said the exact release date will depend on each wireless provider, he said the physical keyboard version will likely come out eight to 10 weeks after
a carrier releases a model with only a touch screen, the BlackBerry Z10.
The Z10 is expected in the US in mid-March, so eight to 10 weeks brings the US date for the Q10 to mid-May to early June.
MUST READ: How BlackBerry 10 stacks up against the competition"We're trying to get it as close as we can," Heins said in an interview to
The Associated Press.
Both models are
part of RIM's attempt at a comeback after the pioneering brand lost its cachet not long after Apple's 2007 release of the iPhone, which reset expectations for what a smartphone should do.
RIM promised a new system called BlackBerry 10 to catch up, using technology it got through its 2010 purchase of QNX Software Systems. But it has taken more than two years to unveil new phones that are redesigned for the new multimedia, Internet browsing and apps experience that customers are now demanding.
MUST READ: Hands-on with the BlackBerry Z10In the interview, Heins said it was up to the carriers to do the necessary testing and to decide whether they could shorten the process. He said eight to 10 weeks after
the Z10 launch was "a good range" of what to expect.
Such a delay would further complicate RIM's efforts to hang on to customers tempted by Apple's trend-setting iPhone and a range of devices running Google's Android operating system.
MUST READ: Key features of the new BlackBerry OSEven as the BlackBerry has fallen behind rivals in recent years, many BlackBerry users have stayed loyal so far specifically because they prefer a physical keyboard over the touch screen found on the iPhone and most Android devices. But the temptations to switch grow with each additional delay, despite favorable reviews for the new system.
To send a message that the BlackBerry is back, RIM ran an ad during Sunday's Super Bowl game in the US suggesting that there's so much the new phones could do, it'd be easier to list the outlandish things that they can't. The Canadian company is also in the process of changing its name to BlackBerry to emphasize that brand.
MUST READ: BlackBerry announces devices on BB10 OS RIM's stock increased nearly 7 per cent to close Tuesday at $16.02 after gaining 15 per cent Monday following initial reports of strong UK sales and an upgrade of the stock by an analyst.
RIM CEO Thorsten Heins with the BlackBerry Q10 at the launch. PHOTO: AP 
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