Global appeal

BlackBerry is rolling out its new Z10 phone gradually around the world, starting in the UK on Thursday. The phone launches in Canada on February 5, and in the United Arab Emirates on February 10. It won't be released in the U.S. until sometime in March.

The focus on making the phone an international product is smart, since the company has a strong hold in places like the UAE, Indonesia, England and parts of South America. Wednesday's press announcement referenced satellite launch events for BlackBerry fans in London, Dubai and South Africa, among other far-flung places.

BlackBerry hasn't just been wooing developers in the U.S., it's paying attention to the top mobile apps in other markets and getting those developers to create products for the BlackBerry 10 platform. To hold its own against Apple, Android and Microsoft, it will need them.