No-contract Solavei is first US carrier to offer BlackBerry Z10, price weighty

Update: On March 12, Solavei announced that through GSM Nation, it will now offer the Z10 for a little more reasonable $689.

That price is for the phone contract free, so at least you won't be tied down to unreasonable monthly rate, early termination fees and all the other "joys" of signing a service agreement.

Original article...

How badly do you want a BlackBerry Z10?

If you're willing to fork over $999, an unlocked model can be yours in a matter of days.

Solavei, a no-contract carrier running on T-Mobile's wireless network, announced Monday that it's ready to ship the touchscreen BB10 phone to purchasers.

The phone is on sale through retail partner GSM Nation, Solavei noted in a press release, and although the Z10's product page says it will ship within 24-48 hours, a notice on the GSM Nation website alerts customers that shipments are delayed until Feb. 13 due to winter storm Nemo.

It's good to be first

Solavei becomes the first U.S. carrier to offer the newly released phone, on sale in the U.K. for almost two weeks and Canada since Feb. 5. Dubai got the phone Sunday.

Though nearly $1,000 is worth a rental payment to many, the monthly plan cost of the Z10 is only $49, sans contract of course. Solavei promises unlimited voice, text and data for the price.

In a twist, Solavei also offers members the chance to save some cash (or even earn some) through its social commerce platform, a marketing strategy that relies on word-of-mouth and members' social media connections to recruit new users.

T-Mobile, AT&T and Verizon aren't due to start selling the phone until sometime in March, with pricing at Verizon confirmed for $199. We're still waiting to hear how much the Z10 will cost on the other two, though it's a good guess neither will be too far off that mark.