With just three days left before the launch of BlackBerry 10, the anticipation for Research In Motion’s forthcoming platform and accompanying handsets has reached new heights.

Over the past few months, we’ve wondered whether to expect physical, full-QWERTY keyboards or touchscreens, whether we’ll likely see a traditional form factor, and whether we can expect RIM to follow competitors into the so-called ‘phablet’ market, as trends suggest consumers want larger smartphone screens.

A series of anonymous leaks and hints from RIM itself suggest we could be seeing two consumer-ready BlackBerry 10 devices, set for a wide-ranging global availability. The Waterloo, Ontario-based firm has yet to officially confirm any BlackBerry 10 handsets but, in the meantime, we’ve taken a closer look at the two devices the rumour mill is hedging its bets on.

BlackBerry Z10

The BlackBerry Z10 is hotly tipped to be RIM’s flagship handset for the forthcoming operating system. Rumoured specs point to a dual-core TI OMAP 4470 processor clocked at 1.5GHz, with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage, expandable through a microSD slot. Its 4.2in screen is expected to have a 1,280 x 768 pixel resolution. The Z10 is expected to have an 8-megapixel rear camera, capable of 1080p video-recording, and a 2-megapixel front-facing camera.

The Z10 has been showed off in a number of leaked images and videos, including one (below) that shows it going toe-to-toe with the iPhone 5. A recent Carphone Warehouse leak suggests that it will be available SIM-free to the tune of £479.95, making it roughly £30 cheaper than a 16GB iPhone 5, despite boasting a slightly larger display with a higher pixel-per-inch density than Apple’s smartphone. Of course, the most important comparison will come down to the BlackBerry 10 operating system, though we’ll have to wait a few more days to finally see how it measures up.

BlackBerry X10

While there’s been a lot of talk about the full-touchscreen Z10, it would be remiss of RIM to introduce BlackBerry 10 without acknowledging the seemingly significant portion of its customer base that is loyal to the full-QWERTY physical keyboard. “We know what our strengths are. And it would be plain wrong to get rid of the physical keyboard,” the company’s chief executive Thorsten Heins told CNET last year.

Accordingly, a dual touchscreen-physical keyboard device named the X10 is expected to accompany the Z10 as a secondary handset option. The X10 looks similar to previous generations of BlackBerry devices, with a large display that sits above a traditional four-row QWERTY keyboard.

Spec details are sparse, but the BlackBerry X10 is expected to be similar to the Z10 under the hood. Display-wise, it’s tipped to have a resolution of 720 x 720 pixels and a pixel density of 330 ppi. Rumours also point to NFC integration, an 8-megapixel rear camera shooting video at 1080p, and a 2-megapixel front-facing camera.

For a closer look at up-to-the-minute BlackBerry 10 news and analysis this week, visit ITProPortal’s dedicated BlackBerry 10 page.

Image Credit: Tinhte.vn (Z10), BlackBerry Empire (X10)

by Rawiya Kameir

There’s been no shortage of BlackBerry 10 rumours, predictions and guesstimations clogging the airwaves over the past year. Many of those falsehoods will be shot down when Research In Motion releases its next-generation operating system on 30 January. But in the meantime, we’ve sifted through the mounds of gossip to outline what we know for sure about the forthcoming OS. Below, we’ve separated the factual wheat from the chaff to bring you a list of facts and features that will definitely accompany the launch of BlackBerry 10.

It’s based on QNX.

As RIM shifts to compete with the likes of iOS and Android, it has abandoned its former BlackBerry operating system in favour of the greener pastures of QNX, a Unix-like platform that will ostensibly help place the company more firmly in the modern era of mobile computing. RIM acquired the Canadian company behind QNX in 2010 and began the first phase of rolling out its new OS with last year’s QNX-based PlayBook tablet. In addition to overhauling the feel of the OS, QNX ostensibly brings a faster, smoother and more dynamic mobile experience with multimedia and multitasking due to be at the forefront of BlackBerry 10.

RIM is introducing a brand-new user interface.

QNX will likely boost performance, but it also means that BlackBerry 10 will have a brand-new user interface - one that might be unfamiliar to existing or past BlackBerry customers. The so-called ‘Flow’ UI emphasises fluidity and the ability to navigate easily between different tasks, allowing users to switch from app to app without having to return to the home screen each time. Along those lines, the interface also allows users to manage running apps simply through a series of swipe gestures. A unified inbox, dubbed ‘BlackBerry Hub’, gathers messages from different sources, including BBM, text, email and various social media networks, and allows users view them directly from within a single notification centre.

There’s a redesigned BlackBerry World market place.

In dropping ‘app’ from the branding of its web store and renaming it just ‘BlackBerry World’, RIM has confirmed what we’ve suspected all along – BlackBerry 10 will bring with it a different approach to its online market place, broadening its content offerings beyond just apps. Much like Google did in turning its Android Market into Google Play, BlackBerry World will see an uptick in entertainment content. That means films, music and other content that will make its devices stronger on the multimedia front. RIM has described the new web store as a “one-stop shop for all of your mobile entertainment needs.” The company has also made significant efforts to ensure the re-branded web store is also home to plenty of apps, having recently hosted two developer events and offered plenty of incentives for those who build BlackBerry apps. In fact, RIM CEO Thorsten Heins recently told German newspaper Die Welt that there are currently some 70,000 apps in BlackBerry World, with more due to be added after launch.

BlackBerry Enterprise Service gets fancier.

RIM rolled out BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 earlier this week with an emphasis on the promise that the updated management tool will add a handful of updates geared towards enterprise productivity. The flagship feature will likely be allowing IT staff to manage their workers’ devices through BES 10 whether or not they’re BlackBerrys. Enterprise customers will be able to manage employees’ handsets and tablets in what appears to be a flexible, customisable and scalable way using a web-based admin console with wide-ranging capabilities.

RIM’s BlackBerry Balance technology will play a starring role.

The Waterloo, Ontario-based firm has been touting BlackBerry Balance for a while, targeting the growing BYOD trend while ostensibly allowing a firm grip on security. It’s built to help users keep their personal data separate from their work information, allowing for sensitive content to be protected while also allowing them to maintain privacy. More specifically, when implemented, it prevents personal applications from accessing work data, and restricts work information from being sent through personal channels. Though it’s not a brand-new feature, it’s taking centre stage with BlackBerry 10 as RIM seeks to remind customers of the sort of enterprise-geared technology that helped it earn its reputation in the first place.

BBM gets upgraded with video chat and screen-sharing features.

BlackBerry Messenger, the instant messenger app that propelled BlackBerry to popularity with the average consumer, is getting a facelift in BlackBerry 10. Though it’s still, at its core, an instant messaging application, it incorporates a handful of new features that are sure to impress. Voice was a welcome addition when it launched for BlackBerry 7 late last year, and BlackBerry 10 is set to improve on that by adding the ability to make video calls. Video calls on BB10 will also include a screen-sharing function that will allow users to display their screens to friends and colleagues while on said call. There’s no word yet on whether these features will be available over cellular connections or restricted to Wi-Fi, but we’re sure to find out next week.

We’ll see six BlackBerry 10-based smartphones in 2013.

Despite dropping occasional hints over the past year, RIM has kept mum about the details of the handsets it will announce in conjunction with BlackBerry 10 next week. We’re expecting a shift away from physical keyboards being a mainstay of BlackBerry handsets, though they’re unlikely to disappear completely. The primary device RIM has been using to show off developer versions of the operating system is a full-touchscreen one, though there’s no indication that it will be BB10’s flagship phone. What we know for sure is that the company will release six different BlackBerry handsets in 2013 spanning the high-end, mid-range and budget segments of the market, though confirmed details about those devices are scant.

Image Credit: Tinhte.vn

by Rawiya Kameir

The BlackBerry 10 operating system is set to launch in about two weeks, now with 15,000 more applications.

Research in Motion held two Port-A-Thon events on Friday — one focused on the BB 10 Community, and the other on Android developers. In total, it received 15,000 app submissions within 37.5 hours.

RIM’s vice president of develop relations, Alec Saunders, tweeted the news Saturday night, comparing the event to running a marathon. “Thanks to all the devs!” he added.

Beginning at noon on Friday offering a number of incentives based on the volume of approved apps each vendor submitted. With a cap of 20 apps per person, developers porting one to five apps were able to earn $100 (£62) per app, while the first 200 participants to port five to 10 approved apps received one BlackBerry Dev Alpha Device and an additional $100 (£62). Even more extravagant was the prize for those who ported 10 or more apps: the first 10 developers received a paid trip to BlackBerry Jam Europe, on top of the prizes awarded to prior categories.

All apps are expected to be available in BlackBerry World on 21 January. Said deadline also relates to developer eligibility for the company’s “10K commitment,” a promotion where RIM guaranteed at least $10,000 (£6223) each if their app passes quality standards and makes $1,000 (£622) on its own.

RIM also held a separate but simultaneous event for Android developers, offering $100 (£62) per eligible app. Those who submitted five or more apps became eligible for a random drawing for one BlackBerry 10 Dev Alpha device.

For those developers who missed the weekend’s events, RIM today announced its Last Chance Port-A-Thon, on 18 January beginning at noon. Similar to former Port-A-Thons, it will be a virtual event, so people can log on from anywhere to participate.
by Stephanie Mlot

The share price of BlackBerry manufacturer Research In Motion has climbed back into double-figures for the first time in five months, as analysts brighten their business forecasts for the Canadian firm.

The news provides a welcome boost for RIM, which has been subject to a persistent barrage of negative publicity over the last year. The company’s future has at times looked perilous due to well-documented financial struggles and BlackBerry’s continued marginalisation in the smartphone market.

The onus has therefore been placed on the forthcoming BlackBerry 10 platform to revive the firm’s fortunes, and positive reactions to the new brand from mobile carriers has encouraged Jefferies & Co analyst Peter Misek to double his price target on shares of RIM from $5 (£3.14) to $10 (£6.28), reports Reuters. Misek also raised his rating on the company’s stock to “hold” from “underperform”.

“Preliminary results from our quarterly handset survey indicate developed market carriers have a much more positive view of BB10 than we expected,” said Misek in a note to clients.

“With greater carrier shelf space and marketing support, we now believe BB10 has a 20 percent to 30 percent probability of success,” added Misek more cautiously. The Jefferies analyst acknowledged the potential trouble that lay ahead if BlackBerry 10 was to fail, but predicted that RIM’s stock could be worth as much as $43 (£26.98) within the next year should the OS prove popular with consumers – and among other handset manufacturers who may wish to license the platform.

Earlier this month, RIM confirmed the BB10 launch event will take place on 30 January, when a range of new BlackBerry handsets are expected to be unveiled alongside the software.

“In building BlackBerry 10, we set out to create a truly unique mobile computing experience that constantly adapts to your needs,” said CEO Thorstein Heins (pictured above). “Our team has been working tirelessly to bring our customers innovative features combined with a best in class browser, a rich application ecosystem, and cutting-edge multimedia capabilities. All of this will be integrated into a user experience – the BlackBerry Flow – that is unlike any smartphone on the market today.”

by Will Dalton

In addition, you can get £10 cashback when you buy a case. Since the cheapest is priced at £9.99, you can essentially get a case for free.

The tablet was launched more than two years ago and was, at the time, a trailblazer, being the first to ship with a dual-core system-on-chip and with two multi-megapixel cameras. But RIM failed to bring the PlayBook to market quickly enough and by the time it went on sale, it was already surpassed by a slew of Android and iOS rivals.

Still, the PlayBook is a very capable tablet if you are not after apps. It runs a dual-core TI OMAP4430 system-on-chip clocked at 1GHz with 1GB of RAM, 64GB of onboard storage, a 7in 1,024 x 600 display, a 5-megapixel rear camera, a 3-megapixel front-facing one, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, micro-HDMI and micro-USB ports, GPS and Blackberry Tablet OS.

Given that a 64GB microSD card costs around £30, this makes the PlayBook a very enticing purchase for those looking to carry their media collection around.

by Desire Athow

The unveiling – which will be synchronised “in multiple countries around the world,” according to the firm – will see the official release of RIM’s new mobile platform, as well as introduction of the first BlackBerry 10 smartphones.

Speculation points to the initial BlackBerry 10 product line being comprised of an L-Series touch-screen mobile – potentially code-named the London for the UK market and the Laguna in the US - and a more traditional N-Series device sporting a QWERTY keyboard.

Additional gossip points to a handset code-named the Aristo and featuring a quad-core Qualcomm CPU clocked at 1.5GHZ in addition to 2GB of RAM, and a 4.65in, 1,280 x 720 pixel display. Indeed, some rumours point to the on-going development of as many as six BB10 devices in all.

“In building BlackBerry 10, we set out to create a truly unique mobile computing experience that constantly adapts to your needs. Our team has been working tirelessly to bring our customers innovative features combined with a best in class browser, a rich application ecosystem, and cutting-edge multimedia capabilities. All of this will be integrated into a user experience – the BlackBerry Flow – that is unlike any smartphone on the market today,” said Thorsten Heins, president and CEO of Research In Motion.

“We are looking forward to getting BlackBerry 10 in the hands of our customers around the world,” he added.

The apparent confirmation of a late-January launch could go a long way to appeasing the North American firm’s more ardent critics, who have been given ample ammunition of late, not least in the form of persistent rumours that RIM’s new BB10 platform might not arrive until March 2013 at the earliest.

But the clouds over Ontario may well be clearing. In addition to the news of a release event, the BlackBerry 10 platform became RIM’s first mobile OS to get pre-launch FIPS 140-2 cryptographic module certification, meaning that it is cleared for use by US government agencies – a big PR boost and a useful selling point from an enterprise market perspective.

by James Laird,

RIM has belated launched a 3G edition of its BlackBerry PlayBook tablet in the UK, as the firm aims to capitilise on the growing interest in 7in form factor.

The PlayBook 3G+ largely unchanged from the original PlayBook, which debuted in 2011. The tablet features the same 7in 1024 x 600 multi-touch capacitive screen along with micro-USB and micro-HDMI ports. The tablet also features a 3-megapixel front facing camera and a 5-megapixel camera on the rear.

The device runs on RIM’s propitiatory QNX operating system and is one of the few tablets to support both HTML5 and Adobe Flash platforms natively, as even Android devices have ceased support.

In terms of upgrades, RIM has boosted the processor up to a 1.5GHz dual-core chip, doubled the memory (32GB) and of course added cellular connectivity.

However, the pricetag could be a downfall. The PlayBook 3G+ is priced at £415, which makes it £176 more expensive than the 3G edition of the Google Nexus 7 (32GB). Despite being £34 cheaper than the equivalent iPad mini 4G, Apple has a flourishing ecosystem of apps, TV shows, music and movies to offer customers.

Despite being one of the first prominent 7in tablets on the market, the PlayBook was deemed to be a disappointment on launch. The device was plagued with bugs and a lack of apps. The tablet also needed to be used in conjunction with a BlackBerry smartphone to make it fully functional.

By Khidr Suleman

The company called the move “a critical milestone” in the development of the operating system, which is expected to launch in the first quarter of 2013.

“I have spent the last several weeks on the road visiting with carrier partners around the world to show them the BlackBerry 10 platform and to share with them our plans for launch,” RIM CEO Thorsten Heins said in a statement. “Their response has been tremendous.”

In order to certify BB10 for use on their networks, operators have to test and certify the system through the “lab entry” process, which could take up to several weeks.

Heins said the RIM team is still working to prepare for the technical and commercial launch of the OS. The CEO has already met with operators in Canada, Mexico, and the US, and is planning trips to Europe, Asia, and Africa soon.

“The hard work will not stop here as we build toward launch,” Heins said.

Developers are now crafting applications for BlackBerry 10, and RIM’s enterprise teams have started presenting BB10 devices and services to business customers.

“Our engineers are fully mobilized to ensure that BlackBerry 10 launches flawlessly in the first quarter of 2013,” Heins said.

This may be RIM’s last chance to impress. In July, the company had to fend off rumours that it was falling into a “death spiral,” as Heins put it. The Ontario, Canada-based company announced brutally low financial results this summer, and has already pushed back the rollout of BlackBerry 10 from late 2012 to early 2013.

by Stephanie Mlot, 01 November, 2012