The VAR Guy

On the cusp of Mobile World Conference 2012 comes leaked images of RIM’s latest endeavor, the BlackBerry 10 operating system. The pictures show a familiar-looking BlackBerry unit with a very new user interface. But it’s not just eye candy, we can actually learn something from these pictures. Here’s what they tell us …

A tip of the hat goes to Crackberry.com for posting the images. Originally, Crackberry posted an image of what looked like a BlackBerry PlayBook, smashed up and shrunk down to the size of (and style) of an iPhone. But the image was a rendering from a slide deck, not a real photograph. Now, photos of what appears to be a BlackBerry Torch running BlackBerry 10 have arrived, and the it’s a much more convincing representation of what we can expect sometime this year. Yes, the screen images are likely simulated in the pictures, but it’s also what the final product will end up looking like.

So what have we all be waiting for? According to Crackberry.com, BlackBerry 10 will include:

• Unified Inbox: Carrying over from the PlayBook and many e-mail clients before it, the unified inbox will come to BlackBerry 10 devices, finally.
• Video Call: A contact screen shot suggests BlackBerry will finally get this now-ubiquitous videochat feature.
• Widgets: Phone, maps, music and weather are just a few of the widgets unveiled. Widgets sit two-by-two and display information. Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn will almost definitely be widgets in the future.
• New Home Screen: Like Android and iPhone before it, BlackBerry 10 will ditch the desktop-esque layout and go for a icon grid.

Personally, I like the new style. It’s sleek, industrial and professional. It feels fresh. The problem with it (and a problem that was recognized by some disenchanted Crackberry readers) is that it’s too little, too late. If we assume the little we’ve learned about the new features in BlackBerry 10 will be the only new features at the debut, it shows RIM isn’t innovating, it’s just playing catch-up. This has been my prevailing concern about RIM. Still, it’s a bit unfair to assume RIM will have no surprising features. Like so many other things, we’ll just have to wait unit the official unveiling. I’m hoping RIM won’t disappoint.

Read More About This Topic

• Research In Motion: Is There Hope for RIM in 2012?
• RIM Launches Bluetooth Mini Keyboard for Blackberry PlayBook
• RIM Finally Launches BlackBerry PlayBook 2.0 Update
• Tepid Showing at CES Shows RIM, BlackBerry at Crossroads
• Report: RIM Looking to Oust Co-CEOs from Chairman Position