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RIM shows off BlackBerry 10 touch keyboard with gesture support
What's the best thing about the BlackBerry platform? Most would say it's the keyboard, which continues to be world-class in the company's most recent handsets, like the Bold 9900. One of the big questions on the fans of the BB faithful in the new operating system was how the company could re-create that magic on a touchscreen. Well, Thorsten Heins just showed us how on-stage at BlackBerry World, showing off a new, smart touch keyboard that is said to adapt to your touches. It has elements of predictive text, like many other keyboards, but it also relies heavily on gestures. For example, to get to numbers and special characters, just swipe upward from below and the keyboard layout changes. You can swipe up and down to cycle through these layouts and, like SwiftKey, swipe left to delete whole words. It doesn't exactly blow many of those aftermarket Android options out of the water but it certainly looks like it could be among one of the best stock keyboards out there.
BlackBerry 10 developer toolkit released in beta, adds Native and WebWorks SDKs for app-building flexibility
Will BlackBerry 10 be the hallowed OS that heals Waterloo's recent wounds or yet another RIM-shot to highlight its foibles? Only the fickle tide of consumer interest will certainly tell. But while the success and awareness of that new platform undoubtedly rests on the company's shoulders, a great deal of it also hinges upon crucial developer support. To spur things along in that latter department, RIM's released its developer toolkit in beta today. The tools, launched ahead of forthcoming BB 10 devices and the nascent ecosystem that they'll depend upon, are designed for flexibility, allowing third parties to choose between the Native SDK with its OS-specific APIs or the WebWorks SDK for HTML5 and CSS. The company's even gotten a head-start and partnered with the likes of Gameloft, which has already committed to optimizing 11 of its software titles for use on the platform. There's still a long road to US recovery ahead for the ailing BlackBerry brand, so let's hope this latest call-to-arms isn't lost on the dev community. Click on past the break for the official PR.
BlackBerry 10 Dev Alpha hands-on
Behold the BlackBerry 10 Dev Alpha. Research in Motion is now following in the footsteps of tech giants like Nokia, Intel and Qualcomm by pushing out a device solely dedicated to serve the needs of its developers. Considering the level of importance RIM is placing on the launch of its latest OS, the QNX-based BlackBerry 10, this is a critical move for the Canadian company as it works to recruit interested parties from other platforms while strengthening its existing relationships. Emulators and development kits are nice, of course, but they can't take the place of an actual working device -- and the Dev Alpha will be the primary vehicle to drive BB 10 developers until the final production smartphones begin shipping sometime this fall. Our time with the Dev Alpha was brief, and we weren't able to glean much out of the experience. Why? When we were given the opportunity to play with it, the device was more of a miniature PlayBook than a BB10 phone. In fact, it even had PlayBook OS 2.0 loaded rather than the next-gen BlackBerry platform. So what did we find out about this mysterious device?
BlackBerry 10 dev alpha unit unveiled: 4.2-inch screen, 1280 x 768 resolution
Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words. In this instance, it just leaves us wanting more. The image you see above is RIM's official dev unit for its just launched BlackBerry 10 platform. If it looks familiar, that's because you've seen it not too long ago when leaks of the much anticipated device began to hit the world wide rumor-mongering web. Waterloo's still keeping us in the dark as to the glorified guts this austere fella's packing, but it did confirm these alpha units will feature a jaw-dropping 4.2-inch, 1280 x 768 display that bests the 720p panels found on other similarly-sized handsets -- there's no word yet on if it's PenTile, though it likely doesn't matter much at that resolution. We've also learned the device sports 16GB internal storage and 1GB of RAM. No, this isn't your mother's BlackBerry and for good reason too, as the beleaguered mobile titan's got quite a bit of its continued prosperity riding on this QNX-based slab. Wondering where its QWERTY cousin is? We are too, but without any official announcements, you'll just have to stay tuned to see what fruits this week's BlackBerry World will bear.
Is this RIM's BlackBerry 10 development device?
You know the drill -- grab yourself a spoonful of Morton's and get ready for another supposed leak of a gadget. This time around, you're looking at what's claimed as being one of Research In Motion's BlackBerry 10 "Development Alpha" devices that'll be handed out during next week's BlackBerry Jam -- just like the company promised a month ago. Images of the device first surfaced over at CrackBerry's forums and, as the site points out, the touchscreen candy bar seems to share its design DNA with the PlayBook. Keeping in mind that it's likely to remain a testing device for devs, don't bank on it ever hitting store shelves. That said, we're now curious how pivotal a role RIM's famous tactile keyboards will play on its next-generation phones -- if any. Head over to the source links below if you'd like to catch more photos from Mr. Blurrycam and extra information in the meantime.
RIM's first BlackBerry 10 device may come as early as October
It's no secret that there's currently a sense of urgency in Waterloo, but if a recent report from N4BB is accurate, it seems that both consumers and enterprise are bound to benefit. According to the site's confidential source, Research in Motion is preparing to reveal its first BlackBerry 10 device in mid-August and will have the product in the hands of consumers by October. We'd previously known that RIM intends to have these units in the hands of developers next month, which gives a bit of credence to this most recent revelation. As for what consumers may expect, the first device is said to offer just a touchscreen, whereas we'll need to wait until Q1 of next year to see a handset with a physical QWERTY keyboard. As you'll recall, the company's previous leader, Mike Lazaridis, previously stated that consumers wouldn't see a BlackBerry 10 device until the end of the year, but this was due entirely to a shortage of the chipset that RIM deemed crucial to its manufacture. Perhaps Mr. Heins was able to light a bit of a fire under the company's partners, no?
Former RIM co-CEO Jim Balsillie's very different rescue plan revealed
Sources close to former RIM co-CEO Jim Balsillie have revealed his plans to save the company before he was shown the door, a plan that didn't involve handsets. He'd entered into talks with AT&T, Verizon and several European carriers to offer them use of the company's BlackBerry-exclusive network to provide limited data plans to featurephone users that included social networking and BBM -- with the aim of reducing the cellphone operators data burden and coaxing users to upgrade to smartphones. The company was working on Mobile Fusion; software that allowed enterprise and government users on iOS and Android devices to join RIM's system, which reportedly earns the company $1 billion per quarter. However, while talks progressed, company execs grew nervous and ousted him in favor of Thorsten Heins with a mandate to focus on BB10 and new devices rather than turning RIM into a service company. However, given that it's still losing money on its handset business, Heins has reopened the door to Balsillie's plan. It's just a shame Balsillie himself is keeping quiet, as we'd love to hear his thoughts in an executive-level edition of How Would you Change.
Switched On: Angry Nerds
Oh no! The evil pigs of purchase inhibition taken the valuable eggs of smartphone desire and captured them within a complex structure. Fortunately, there are a number of powerful birds that can be slung through the air, space or various sets of children's movies to smash down the structure. Why can't they just fly through the air since they're birds, you may ask? Gee, you sure ask a lot of questions. Just plunk down your $0.99 and gear up for in-app purchases for these valuable premiums.
RIM putting BlackBerry 10 test units in developers' hands in May
It's telling, perhaps, when a VP for your company uses the word "finally" while discussing plans to release test models for your upcoming mobile operating system -- but it's certainly a pretty accurate sentiment when dealing BlackBerry 10. Talking up RIM's plans to release up to 2,000 prototypes running the OS at the BlackBerry Jam conference in May, executive Alec Saunders had this to say: "It's tangible evidence of the company making progress to finally shipping the device." Barring any further setbacks, the operating system formerly known as BBX is set to hit before year's end.[Thanks, Neil]
BlackBerry 10 coming to the PlayBook, RIM confirms
RIM's handsets won't be getting BlackBerry 10 until later this year, but once they do, the PlayBook will be next in line. That's according to Rob Orr, RIM's VP of product management, who confirmed the news to TechRadar. "We've said publicly a number of times that our first BB10 handset will be available towards the end of 2012, and that's still firmly the case," Orr said. "At some point after the launch we'll bring BB10 to our PlayBooks, yes." Orr apparently didn't get any more specific than that, though he did mention that RIM has seen a spike in updates to PlayBook OS 2.0, which came out just last month. According to the exec, about 50 percent of all users made the jump on the day it came out, which just goes to show how great e-mail is.
Mobile World Congress 2012 preview: what will we see?
Without hesitation, February always seems to be the most hectic time of the year for the mobile industry, thanks primarily to the annual Mobile World Congress held in Barcelona, Spain. The show has long been considered the proper venue for phone and tablet vendors to show off their latest and greatest innovations. Naturally, the internet is been set ablaze with plenty of rumors and even a few official product announcements from companies hoping to benefit from some solid pre-show buzz.In this guide we'll take you on a tour and walk through the hardware we already know will be shown off at MWC, as well as what we should likely expect to see and the things we'd really love to hear more about but probably won't. Join us after the break, won't you?
BlackBerry London resurfaces in leak, sports matte black exterior, nonexistent OS
That salacious onyx number up there? Per CrackBerry, it's a rendering of RIM's upcoming BlackBerry codenamed London. Found lurking in a leaked Waterloo slidedeck, the svelte render now sports a more curvaceous and onyx exterior -- a departure from the angular metallic P'9981-esque dummy-unit first spied back in November. Those tweaks validate another rumor, which foretold the redo, as-well as the killing of its Milan and Colt siblings. Looks like RIM might be putting all of its eggs into this redesigned London-basket, which per this leaked roadmap could be yours come Q3. All or nothing, Thorsten Heins? We like your gusto -- bring on the black unicorn.
Shocker! New RIM CEO targets existing BlackBerry users for upgrades
All of new RIM CEO Thorsten Heins' fresh ideas will apparently still be revealed to the company's board in a couple of weeks, but he's already dropped some gems in interviews with the Wall Street Journal and Reuters (update: and Bloomberg). First item on the agenda? Getting current users upgraded to the latest and greatest BlackBerry hardware. Citing internal statistics that indicate 80- to 90- percent of the company's customer base aren't running BlackBerry 7 hardware yet, it will work closely with US carriers to promote upgrades until the new BB10 devices hit later this year. There's no word on what the carrier deals include, but he hinted at device or preloaded app bundles. He also promised an LTE version of the PlayBook would arrive this spring, with LTE connected handsets also planned for the BlackBerry 10 lineup. Is that enough to turn around RIM's fortunes in the US, where he acknowledged the company is "a turnaround candidate"? We'll find out, but as obvious as the need to placate the already BBM-addicted may be, execution of the plan is everything.
2012 BlackBerry roadmap leaks, reveals pile of Curves and 3G PlayBook
We've heard some rumors about what RIM had in store for its beleaguered BlackBerry brand, but we're just now seeing some evidence to support those claims. The fine folks over at BGR have gotten their hands on what appears to be a copy of the company's 2012 roadmap, as well as a handful of slides detailing some upcoming products. It looks like an HSPA+ equipped PlayBook is in the works, packing both NFC and a 1.5GHz CPU for good measure, as well as a pile of Curves aimed at the entry-level market. Something new those cheapo handsets will be bringing to the table is a dedicated BBM button, which should make addicts of the messaging service quite happy. Sadly, it also looks like the first BlackBerry 10 (formerly BBX) device may have suffered a slight delay and may not land till October or November. Hit up the source link for all the nitty gritty details.
RIM's Thorsten Heins formally introduced: liveblogging the media call
If you missed it, RIM attempted to interrupt the Giants vs. 49ers matchup last night by dropping a wee bit of news: it's co-CEOs are gone, and taking the solo CEO badge is former COO Thorsten Heins. The new head honcho will be formally introduced in a media call slated to begin at 8:00AM ET on January 23rd, 2012, and we'll be liveblogging every moment of it for those who can't tune in. We've already learned a fair amount about the gentleman's plans courtesy of an introductory video, but we'll be listening in for any hints as to future QNX plans, PlayBook ambitions or BlackBerry wizardry. Join us after the break for the play-by-play! January 23, 2012 8:00 AM EST
RIM reportedly scraps the Colt and Milan, leaving London as sole BlackBerry 10 device?
And then there was... one? BGR is reporting that the folks at Research in Motion have not only scrapped plans for the BlackBerry Colt, originally expected to be the first BlackBerry 10 superphone out of the gate, but the rumored Milan as well (which was also reported by N4BB). If true, this would leave the BlackBerry London as the one and only QNX-based device in the works, suggesting RIM is taking a huge gamble by putting all of its eggs in one basket when it launches the new OS later this year. Additionally, the site reports that the London will have a slightly different design from the prototype leaked a couple months ago, and that the Milan wasn't actually a BlackBerry 10 device at all, but instead was supposed to run OS 7. Remember this is all according to "people familiar with the matter," which means the rumor is completely unconfirmed at this time.
RIM: BlackBerry 10 smartphones won't arrive until end of 2012
Some unfortunate news was revealed for those BlackBerry addicts who've waited patiently for a QNX-based smartphone from RIM. The company's co-CEO, Mike Lazaridis, reports that, due to a critical chipset that's not expected to be available in production quantity until mid-next year, we're unlikely to see a BlackBerry 10 device emerge until late in 2012. We know, ouch. When asked during today's conference call about the delay, the company leaders defended the decision and reiterated that a suitable alternative wouldn't be available that delivers a sufficient balance of processing power and battery longevity. As RIM's fans cope with the latest news, the firm promises that it's continuing to work on delivering a high-quality user experience and industrial design for its upcoming lineup. With the farm riding on this release, we can only hope so.
RIM reports Q3 2011 earnings: $5.2b revenue, $265m net income and 14.1 million handsets shipped
News out of Waterloo isn't all bad today, as Research in Motion has revealed its financial results for the third quarter of 2011. While the company previously had to scale back its earlier earnings projections of $5.6 billion in the quarter, it's apparent the firm came close to meeting that mark. After close of the markets today, RIM reported $5.2 billion in revenue with $265 million in net income and 14.1 million handsets shipped. The company was only able to eke out 150,000 PlayBook tablets during this time frame, however, which no doubt contributed to these reduced numbers. Unfortunately, the market hasn't taken so kindly to the revelation, as RIM's stock has fallen seven-percent in after hours trading. In a small bit of positive news, the firm reports that its subscriber count is up 35-percent year-over-year, which now totals 75 million subscribers. Looking forward, the company expects to bring in between $4.6 and $4.9 billion in revenue for the next quarter, where it hopes to ship between 11 and 12 million units. Co-CEO Jim Balsillie referred to the last few quarters as among the most trying in the company's history, and promised to re-evaluate RIM's product portfolio, R&D strategy and to "leave no stone unturned" as it seeks to regain prominence in the smartphone world. Meanwhile, co-CEO Mike Lazaridis reaffirmed the commitment to the PlayBook OS 2.0, which remains on track for a February launch. As for the QNX-based BlackBerry 10 smartphones that we've been looking forward to, Lazaridis said to not expect anything until late 2012. Apparently, its availability will be hampered by a critical chipset supply that's not expected to become available until mid-next year. In other words, unless consumers develop a love for BlackBerry 7 OS real quick, 2012 may sadly be another ugly year for the folks in Waterloo.
RIM loses BBX trademark battle, next OS is named BlackBerry 10
Die-hard fans of RIM's mobile efforts should put those BBX tattoo plans on hold, as the US Federal Court has blocked the company from using the BBX trademark, favoring the existing use by BASIS International for its software. As a result, the boys from Waterloo just announced at BlackBerry DevCon Asia that the new name for its next phone OS is BlackBerry 10 (and the Roman numeral for 10 is... ah, we see what you did there.) Let's hope RIM's plans for pulling its tablets and phones into a single unified platform are better executed than its naming process -- next time, they should probably just leave it up to the machines.