BlackBerry Classic up for pre-order now, priced at $449

The BlackBerry Classic has been teased by the Canadian smartphone maker for many months now. It's been already semi-announced, so to speak, and starting today you can finally pre-order one if you want.

The smartphone stays true to its name, coming with that classic BlackBerry form factor - a candybar styling with a full physical QWERTY keyboard appearing underneath the screen.

If you're in the US, you can pre-order the Classic straight from BlackBerry's official online store. This will require you to purchase it unlocked, however - there's no contract-signing with a carrier involved. Also, because it's made for GSM carriers, it won't work on Verizon, Sprint, or US Cellular.

The price is $449, and actual details about when it will be released will be made public on December 17. That's the day during which BlackBerry will hold a "launch" event for the Classic, whatever that may mean. Traditionally, manufacturers announce or "launch" phones before they go up for pre-order. BlackBerry wants to be different, it seems.

Anyway, you should expect the BlackBerry Classic to become available shortly after that December 17 event, since the listing in the online store says it will start shipping "in mid-December".

Source | Via