After spending more than a week using the new BlackBerry Z10, I've come to like certain features. This smartphone, which isn't yet available for sale in the U.S. but will be later this year, brings a lot to the table. It doesn't quite go toe-to-toe with some of today's best devices, but it is a worthy competitor.

 

The core hardware features of the Z10 include a 4.2-inch display, dual-core 1.5-GHz processor, 8-megapixel camera, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS, NFC, microSD card support, and a removable battery. Here are five of what I think are the Z10's best features. 

 

1. BlackBerry Hub: BlackBerry Hub is the new messaging center on the Z10 and within the BB10 operating system. Calling it a 'hub' was a good choice of words, as the BlackBerry Hub is the core of the Z10's communications powers. Every type of message is funneled into the Hub, which includes email, text messages, instant messaging, social networking and so on. Giving users one place to see absolutely all their messages makes it a powerful and convenient tool.