BlackBerry has officially announced the much-rumoured BlackBerry Z30. Pocket-lint revealed on Sunday that the new phone was due to be launched this week and we've been proved right.

The new BlackBerry 10.2 handset is the manufacturer's largest yet, with a 5-inch HD (1280 x 720) Super AMOLED display (295ppi) and 1.7GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro processor with "quad-core graphics". It also has the largest battery yet for a BlackBerry phone - 2,880mAh.

"The new BlackBerry Z30 smartphone builds on the solid foundation and engaging user experience of the BlackBerry 10 platform with features like the powerful BlackBerry Hub, its exceptional touchscreen keyboard and industry leading browser," said Carlo Chiarello, executive vice-president for products at BlackBerry.

"The smartphone rounds out the BlackBerry 10 portfolio and is designed for people looking for a smartphone that excels at communications, messaging and productivity. Having apps like the full Documents To Go suite that comes pre-installed, together with its 5-inch touch display, the BlackBerry Z30 smartphone gives you a best in class productivity experience on the go."

Other features revealed so far include stereo speakers, BlackBerry Natural Sound technology (as part of BB 10.2) to enhance BBM Voice and Chats clarity, new antenna technology and the BlackBerry Priority Hub.

No other specifications have been announced yet, but BlackBerry has opened a "register for updates" webpage. It will be available in the UK and Middle East from next week, with other regions seeing a rollout towards the Christmas holiday season.

UPDATE: Although BlackBerry itself is yet to reveal the full specifications list for the Z30, British high street retailer Selfridges has listed the lot alongside a SIM-free price of £600 and a release date of 26 September.

In addition to the above (which we've also adjusted a little), the BlackBerry Z30 will have 2GB of RAM, 16GB of built-in storage, a microSD card capable of expanding that by up to a further 64GB, and an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera with auto-focus, a five-element f/2.2 lens and flash.

The front-facing camera is 2-megapixel with image and video stabilisation. The rear will be able to shoot 1080p video, the front 720p.

It is a 4G device, with NFC, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity (802.11a/b/g/n across 2.4GHz and 5GHz). It can also act as a DLNA server.

Measurements are 140.7 x 72 x 9.4mm and it will weigh 170g when you get one in your hands next week.

Update 2: US carrier Verizon announced the device is coming "soon" to its network. Our own sources have told us a US launch is 2 - 3 weeks away.