Future Blackberry handsets will be a running a new mobile OS called BBX that is based on software by QNX Systems, a company RIM purchased in 2010 that produces a respected industrial-grade OS. The company has yet to show off BBX OS, but RIM has said the new software will be a hybrid system based on the QNX operating system found in the PlayBook tablet and the traditional BlackBerry OS used in the company’s handsets.
As the tech world waits for RIM to produce an array of new devices, here’s what the company released.
Two new real phones
The touch-only Curve 9380 is the first device from this BlackBerry line to feature a touchscreen, the company said. Announced specs for the new Curve include a 3.2-inch capacitive touchscreen, 5 megapixel rear-facing camera and NFC capabilities.
The new Bold and Curve handsets are running Blackberry 7 OS, which includes built-in support for augmented reality applications, the premium version of Documents To Go, BlackBerry Protect (the company’s free online back-up and remote wipe solution), and BlackBerry Balance, which IT managers can use to create a firewall between company and personal data.
London, presumably
Gadget blog The Verge on Monday published an image of a boxy-shaped touchscreen smartphone called the London that it claims will be one of the first next-generation BlackBerry smartphones. Boy Genius Report later backed up The Verge’s claims saying its sources confirmed the London is a real BlackBerry device. The device will purportedly feature a Texas Instruments OMAP 1.5 GHz dual-core processor, 1GB RAM, 3.7-inch touch display, 8 megapixel front-facing camera and 2 megapixel rear-facing camera. Assuming it’s genuine, the London could launch as early as June or possibly later in 2012.
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