Crackberry addicts, rejoice and behold the newest handset with which to satisfy your addiction. As Blackberry maker Research in Motion (RIM) rapidly loses the smartphone market, even in the corporate sector, the company has pinned much of its hopes on its new platform, Blackberry 10 .
The new OS, which is to be based on the QNX operating system used in its failed Playbook tablet , and utilizing a novel UI designed by cutting edge design firm The Astonishing Tribe, the new phones are the struggling company’s answer to the iPhone and various Android handsets that have stolen the hearts of many a former Blackberry addict.
The new model, which does not appear to sport a physical keyboard like your traditional Blackberry, appears to have a touch based operating system that conceivably compete with Windows Phone, iOS and Android. However, it is not clear at all if RIM has succeeded in wooing software developers to create apps for the new platform, a shortage of which could conceivably hobble the new handset from the get-go.
In fact, the very reason that many former users, including myself, have abandoned the BB platform is the lack of quality apps.
Recently, leaked pics of the first BB10 handset have shown up on rumor site Crackberry and are, if real, pics of a special “development phone” meant to be distributed to potential devs at RIMs upcoming Blackberry Jam.
Even if this new handset is not to be sold in stores, it points to an interesting direction for the once dominant cellular company, Apple copycat.