Pre-orders of keyboard BlackBerry start in Canada

TORONTO (AP) -- Research In Motion says a keyboard version of new the BlackBerry will be available in Canada in the coming weeks and that major carriers are announcing pre-orders.

RIM said in a statement on Tuesday that details on when the BlackBerry Q10 will be available in other markets will follow soon. Presales are already under way in the U.K.

Chief executive Thorsten Heins told The Associated Press last month that the keyboard version won't be released in the United States until late May or June because of carrier testing. That development could complicate RIM's turnaround efforts.

Even as the BlackBerry has fallen behind rivals in recent years, many BlackBerry users have stayed loyal because they prefer a physical keyboard over the touch screen.