BlackBerry has launched the Z30 smartphone, the successor to the BlackBerry Z10 and the first handset to launch with the latest 10.2 version of BlackBerry 10 operating system.

The Z30 is the first BlackBerry smartphone to use a 5in display, and like the Z10 it eschews a physical QWERTY keyboard for a touchscreen. The 1,280x720 resolution isn't exactly cutting-edge, especially as the 295ppi pixel density is lower than the Z10's 356ppi, but it uses AMOLED technology so viewing angles and black levels should be excellent.

Internally though, the Z30 is a welcome step up from the Z10. A dual-core Snapdragon S4 Pro CPU running at 1.7GHz, 2GB of RAM and an Adreno 320 GPU should match Google's Nexus 4 in terms of performance. As well as 16GB of internal storage, the Z30 also has a MicroSD card slot to add extra capacity later. Dual-band 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC and 4G support are all included, along with a larger 2,880mAh battery which should keep the phone juiced for longer than the Z10.

The rear 8-megapixel camera with f/2.2 lens looks unchanged from the Z10 and can still capture 1080p video. The front webcam also stays at 2-megapixels.

According to BlackBerry, the Z30 has an improved antenna that should mean better reception in low signal areas, and Natural Sound microphone tweaks for clearer voice and video chats. BlackBerry OS 10.2 also adds a new Priority Hub for your emails, texts and BBM messages, as well as the ability to preview messages anywhere - including the lock screen.

The Z30 is due to go on sale in the UK and the Middle East next week, although BlackBerry is leaving exact dates and pricing up to network partners. We should learn contract prices soon and will bring you an update once we do.