BlackBerry has detailed some of the 70,000 apps that will be available on BlackBerry 10 at launch, with high-profile titles like Skype, Angry Birds, and Twitter all ready to go. The fresh new platform - which will debut on the Q10 and Z10 smartphones - will also get Facebook and Amazon's Kindle ebook reader.
This week the folks at BlackBerry (formerly known as RIM) have revealed BlackBerry 10 and one of two new hero devices for the software: the BlackBerry Q10. This device has a combination of two user interfaces, one a touchscreen, the other a classic BlackBerry keyboard. The details surrounding this device have been "leaked" several times before this first official reveal, but the final specifications have (as we're finding here) never been perfectly nailed by any one leak or tip - stainless steel, edge to edge glass, and a full BlackBerry 10 experience await you!
Today at RIM's launch event in New York City for BlackBerry 10, the company (which has renamed itself to just "BlackBerry") officially unveiled two new devices, one of which we've already heard about plenty of times. The BlackBerry Z10 is one of RIM's first devices that will run the company's new BlackBerry 10 operating system, and it comes with a full touchscreen display, which isn't the first time RIM has done this, but it certainly isn't common for them.
RIM has announced it will rebrand itself, dumping the old Research In Motion name and instead adopting "BlackBerry" globally. Revealed just ahead of the official launch of BlackBerry 10, the new name harmonizes the Canadian company with the product it's best known for.
This week the folks at RIM ushered in BlackBerry 10 with a series of bangs, President and CEO of RIM Thorsten Heins making congratulations as well as thanks around the globe for what he (and RIM) hopes will be the most massive launch they've ever pushed. The official BlackBerry 10 event took place today in New York City with streams shown live throughout the planet, this being just one example of what Heins noted was RIM's hopw for a "hyper-connected" environment for the future. BlackBerry 10 will be all about "people who need to get things done, and people who need simplicity and balance."
RIM (now just called "BlackBerry") has officially unveiled their new BlackBerry 10 devices at its launch event in NYC (with satellite launch events in several other locations around the world), and they're just now announcing pricing details, and we're also gathering announcements from carriers about pricing and availability of the new BlackBerry Z10 and Q10.
BlackBerry 10 makes its long-anticipated debut today, but the official hype machine is off to a stumbling start with execs from RIM struggling to deal with criticisms around delays and how the iPhone changed the smartphone market. In a pair of interviews on different BBC programs this morning, RIM Europe managing director Stephen Bates faced understandable questions about where previous BlackBerry devices stumbled, as well as being asked where RIM has learned from Apple's device. All didn't go to plan, however.
Ahead of its big day on January 30, RIM has updated BlackBerry World with all sorts of music, movie, and TV show content for users to purchase. As far as digital content storefronts go, BlackBerry World is about what you'd expect - market-priced content sorted by category available to those in certain locations. You can check out the content here.
BlackBerry 10 users will be able to hold multi-person video calls featuring up to twelve participants, thanks to a deal with ooVoo that sees the conference chat service integrated into RIM's new platform. The ooVoo video and instant messaging service, which is free to use, will hook into BlackBerry 10's calling system, with the companies claiming it will be straightforward to flick between a voice call and an ooVoo video call.
The fellow who brought you quite a few ultra-realistic renderings of smartphones and tablets over the past year Martin Hajek has struck again with the BlackBerry Z10. This time he's making the case for a white version of the machine as it sits right next to the iPhone 5, also rendered by this amazingly talented fellow. What's interesting about this device beyond its obvious inclusion in the same generation of smartphone aesthetics as the iPhone 5 is that it is, here, appearing to be a real iPhone competitor - could it be?
BlackBerry 10 isn't due to get its official reveal until later this week, but RIM can't help but seep out a little information on what sort of movies and music options owners will have for BlackBerry World shopping sprees. Describing its portfolio - which includes content from Fox, Sony Pictures, Warner Music, and more - as one of the most robust mobile users will have to choose from, RIM says it will offer movie rentals and purchases in the US, UK, and Canada initially, while eighteen countries will get DRM-free music download access.
Lenovo was a hot topic last week after it was reported that CFO Wong Wai Ming said that the company was looking into an acquisition of RIM, as well as possibly a couple of other companies. However, the company has released an official statement downplaying the significance of the quotes from Ming, saying that Ming "was speaking broadly about M&A strategy" and the interviewer specifically asked about RIM.