Vodafone Ghana has once again taken the lead in innovation by being the first to launch the new BlackBerry Z10 in Ghana just one week after its global launch. Head of Terminals at Vodafone Ghana, Ebenezer Ampadu, who launched the device, said the company is happy to satisfy the desire of its customers for innovation by taking the initiative to make them the first to own the latest handset, which has created a consumer frenzy all over the world. “We know our customers are driven by innovation and like to set the pace for others to follow. They expected Vodafone to be the first to deliver one of the most sought after handsets in the world and we have not disappointed. I have seen the handset and can say, that our customers will not be disappointed,” he said. Ampadu also said Vodafone is offering all customers who purchase BB Z10 1.5 GB of data for free, which would enable them to browse for up to 60 days for free. He said the handset is not locked on to the Vodafone network but once the user puts in a Vodafone SIM, the Vodafone logo shows up because the company worked closely with BlackBerry (formerly Research in Motion) to design that specially for Vodafone. The new BlackBerry Z10 is a complete re-design from the traditional ‘BB’ and introduces new, user-friendly features. For the first time, users do not have to subscribe to the BlackBerry service before experiencing the full capabilities of the handset. The new handset for instance allows users to browse the internet with their normal data package from the service provider without necessarily going through a BB subscription. The BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) service has also been revamped with added features such as voice and video calling, and screen share, which allows users to share their handset screen and camera view with their friends. Ampadu said all of the added features to BBM are data-based so it does not affect the user’s phone minutes, but rather the data credit, which makes it even more affordable because data consumption on BlackBerry is relatively cheaper than on other operating systems. Another innovative feature is the ‘BlackBerry Hub’, where users can customise their handset so their favourite applications are on one page. Ampandu also mentioned the “Time Shift Mode” feature on the camera allows users to edit pictures to their preference, saying that if one takes a picture and the eyes of the person in the picture are closed, the “Time Shift Mode” allows the user to edit and open the eyes. “The BB Z10 also has a safeguard feature, which means when your handset gets stolen and the other user goes online with it, you can use your BB ID to lock, wipe or track it to where it is being used no matter which network that user subscribes to,” he said. Ampadu said the handset goes for GHC1,999 in Ghana and is available on pre-order. Vodafone Ghana was the first to launch Samsung Galaxy SII, Samsung Galaxy 10.1 tablet, and some other smart and innovative devices in Ghana. The company is current the second largest operator in Ghana with over five million subscribers representing 21% market share.