There's not long to wait now until RIM's BB10 operating system launches, and with it a slew of new handsets. Here's one of them in the flesh -- the BlackBerry X10, part of the BlackBerry N-Series, according to N4BB.
As you can see, it's a Qwerty affair, with the keyboard taking up the lower half of the device. This should please BlackBerry stalwarts who aren't keen on giving up physical buttons.
Don't fret if you like BlackBerrys but do want to ditch the keyboard, as RIM will also launch a range of completely touchscreen handsets for BB10. They'll be known as the L-Series, and we spied one a while ago. It's not a million miles away from a certain fruit-themed phone.
For more on the keyboard itself, check out this video walkthrough.
There's no word on the specs of the device such as screen size or resolution unfortunately. But still, you can get a closer look at the screen in the second snap, with two rows of app icons, along with shortcuts along the bottom for calling, search, and the camera. From behind it looks like a classic BlackBerry.
BB10 launches on 30 January -- so a month to the day exactly. Many people think it'll be make or break time for RIM, after its recent troubles. There was a rumour a while ago that RIM would have to split the company in half and sell off its networking business, or join forces with Microsoft. BB10 has already been delayed twice, so let's hope 30 January is indeed the day it launches.
We'll bring you all the launch day happenings as they occur. Are you looking forward to BB10? Or is it too little too late for RIM? Can it compete with Android and iOS? Or should it buddy up with Microsoft and Windows Phone? Let me know in the comments, or on our Facebook page.
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Comments 15
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anonymous 30 December, 2012 11:57
Can it compete with Android and iOS?
Not a chance in hell, its only a matter of time before Blackberry dies or adopts android to survive.
WarriorCelt 30 December, 2012 12:56
As a long time Blackberry fan and user I am taking a "wait and see" approach to BB10. I love the physical keyboards as I can type out a message twice as fast as any of my friends who use touchscreen phones, push email and BBM are also awesome features, my biggest issue with BlackBerry is the complete lack of apps for the platform, it's embarrassing. When RIM launched the Playbook (which I also own) they gave away free Playbooks to anyone who developed an app for it, this resulted in app world being filled with "crapps", the vast majority were awful, either completely pointless or just a web launchers, it was a joke! Unless RIM change this they will die.
Also is it standard practice for your reporters to sign off EVERY Blackberry based post with the question " Will RIM survive?"? Seriously, change the record Cnet!
bankieboy 30 December, 2012 13:10
If Blackberry want to regain their 'edge' there are 2 remarkably simple things they need to address. Email: permit the automatic inclusion of all imap folders and alter the way messages are displayed by showing only the emails within the selected folder. I cannot find any way to include all imap sub folders from my gmx webmail account.
Calendar: permit the attendees field to contain names as opposed to email addresses. Permit me to delete an event if I have put my email and someone else's in the attendee field. Currently, my playbook steadfastly refuses to delete the event.
iOs and Android have many failings but stupidity in doing things a different way isn't one of them.
anonymous 30 December, 2012 13:32
I too love my BB at work but also have a razr for hometime. I need something in the middle, which is android on a BB, physical keyboards win for anything that needs to be typed.... Screens win for apps
anonymous 30 December, 2012 16:01
Idc about BB10 anymore. Been delayed for so long and they give no updates. BBM you need to pay for and go's out so often for a premium service. I am not a specific OS fanboy. Just saying. Also these handsets, Blackberrys are known for really poor build quality devices. They need to up quality aswell.
anonymous 30 December, 2012 16:43
I hope BB can make a dent. The OS looks interesting on youtube. And more for power users than windows 8. And it looks different to IOS and Android which look more and more alike. I wanted to get a physical keyboard as a spare phone (though I like swype). But I was told that the balckberries don;t support tethering. Not sure if the new BB OS will.
(ANd cnet, I wanted to read about the fines Samnsung are potentially facing from the European commission because of their behaviour over the what are supposed to be patents for common usage). I was told by someone that you;re not running things against samsung because of the changes a few months ago on hte sponsorship deals you get from Samsung!! (might explain afew things).Please say this isn't true! (and post how much you get from different companies, apple included for sponsorship deals). I've seen a few comments about cnet bias- pro apple, anti apple, pro samsung, anti samsung, ignoring htc, anto BB... It would be interesting to see if the changes over hte past few months are a reflection of changes in sponsorship or other income related deals you get from companies whose products you rate).
anonymous 30 December, 2012 19:15
I've always liked that blackberry take security seriously in terms of ensuring that your information is kept with you and not sent to all these servers where it can be read and sold on to third parties which happens with android I believe and with Apple. If Blackberry focus on the privacy of your information with blackberry 10 I could be swayed to move away from Android. Let's see what they come up with in the new year.
anonymous 30 December, 2012 20:50
BB Hardware + Android = Win
anonymous 30 December, 2012 23:05
For the guys that keep saying it needs to run Android, it can. Plus its own stuff.
CaptainPicard 31 December, 2012 00:16
I'm more optimistic about RIM than most people on here. But no matter how good or crap the next generation of BlackBerrys are, RIM needs to avoid 2 mistakes that Nokia made in 2012.
Firstly, it shouldn't make its products exclusive to one network. Nokia made its phones exclusive to EE, which led to EE pricing the new Lumia range ridiculously high on contracts.
Secondly, it shouldnt price it's phone SIM free anywhere near as high as the Galaxy S3, never mind the iPhone 5, those are the most popular phones in the UK and regarded as the best by many people. Nokia Lumia 920 cost £520 SIM free, the S3 was a hundred pounds cheaper. I would bring the Nexus 4 into the equation but no one outside tech sites have heard of it, so RIM is lucky. I hope RIM can make a comeback because I don't wanna see the smartphone and tablet world dominated by 2 OS's.
anonymous 31 December, 2012 11:18
To me this looks like a messed up fake blackberry bold 9900
anonymous 1 January, 2013 05:41
horrible design!!!!
anonymous 1 January, 2013 05:43
the back cover look pretty cheap
amab 6 January, 2013 02:14
windows phone made a good come back, but i dont think blackberry will... it is not interesting or appealing enough to look at... hardware or software. the only company succeeding in making devices with good hardware and software is apple, whether people like it or not. android is starting to overtake with Jelly bean in software though. Apple have the best customer service though so i think they are still reigning as leaders, just look at the nexus 4 problems!
stevieb 18 January, 2013 17:07
Thats not the new phone at all, the new BB10 is touch screen and it built like an iPhone5 but thinner and is black and sexy.
BB are only releasing one phone for the launch and then plan to launch a QWERTY phone later in the year