As the launch of the BlackBerry 10 L Series comes near, more and more information about RIM’s bet to compete with Android, iOS, and to some extent, Windows.
A number of invitations have already been sent out for the unveiling of the phone and the tech community is getting excited. After all, BlackBerry used to be the premier business phone until the iPhone and Android devices left it in the dust.
This is the chance of BlackBerry to make their company relevant again in the tech communications industry. So what should we expect from BlackBerry 10?
A brand new Operating System
The BlackBerry 10 OS was developed by RIM based on the QNX platform that they acquired in 2010. A video showing one of the BlackBerry 10 L series devices being demoed against the iPhone 5 has spread across the web and it looks like it drew inspiration from the three major mobile OS, which are Android, iOS and Windows phone 8.
The look of the OS in the photos and videos is pretty stylish, which makes us believe that it is close to what the final product will look like. The icon format somewhat reminds me of iOS while having a homescreen that features widgets for shortcuts to apps like Android. It also displays real time information like Windows Phone Live tiles.
There is also what RIM calls BlackBerry Flow, which lets you shift through different tasks without closing an app through a series of swipes. This makes multitasking a lot easier.
Another interesting feature is their new messaging center called BlackBerry Hub. This will act as the unified inbox for all your messages including email, texts, social networks, and of course, BBM. Messaging has always been the strong suit of Blackberry so I am glad that they worked on improving it.
There are also leaked pictures of a voice feature in the OS and the initial look of it reminds us a lot of the iPhone’s Siri.
Last interesting feature is the Work and Personal Mode. This feature gives you the option to use your BlackBerry phone both as a personal and business phone. While you are at work, you can turn on business mode, which allows you access to your business tools like your corporate email, your Ringcental app, Dropbox, Evernote, and other productivity apps.
Finally Catching Up
If the information we got is true, then RIM might be on its way back to contention against Android and iOS. Rumor has it that the major carriers are excited to offer the new BlackBerries under their networks.
The main concern is that RIM might have taken too much time to come up with a competing device to make a dent in the market. Will they be able to convince the public that they have a better phone compared to Android, iOS and Windows?
I guess we will find the answer on January 30 when RIM finally unveils their new line of devices. If BlackBerry wants to catch up and reclaim its old glory, this is their chance.