AT&T Inc. shrugged off BlackBerry’s suggested retail price of $249 for the new Q10 phone -- a level that would have made it $50 more expensive than the iPhone --and began taking preorders for the device today at $199.99.
Verizon Wireless plans to start selling the phone tomorrow at the same price, which requires a two-year contract, in line with what it charges for the top-of-the-line iPhone 5, Samsung Electronics Co.’s flagship Galaxy S4 and BlackBerry’s Z10. BlackBerry set the Q10’s suggested price at $249 in April, touting the new phone as a premium product.