10 Things to Know About RIM’s BlackBerry 10

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It doesn’t have Eli Manning heaving a pass into a crowd in the end zone, but Research In Motion‘s (NASDAQ:RIMM) BlackBerry 10 is the tech-world equivalent of a “Hail Mary” play. The company that’s been pounded with market-share losses to Apple‘s (NASDAQ:AAPL) iPhone and Google‘s (NASDAQ:GOOG) Android, needs its new smartphone to succeed, or else.

Whether or not the BlackBerry 10 will revive RIM is unknown, but here are 10 things you should know about the new smartphone.

  1. RIM isn’t just making a last-ditch effort with the BlackBerry 10, it’s starting over. The new platform won’t be compatible with many of the apps available for the company’s other smartphones.
  2. RIM wants BlackBerry 10 apps to be on par with those for the iPhone and Droid phones. That’s why it’s already handing out prototypes of the device to developers attending the BlackBerry World Conference this week in Orlando, Fla.
  3. Developers aren’t all that excited about the new device. Recent survey results have shown that only 16% of developers expressed an interest in creating apps for the BlackBerry 10.
  4. The fact that developers aren’t stoked about designing apps for RIM doesn’t look good for the company. Apps for its competitors far outnumber current BlackBerry and PlayBook apps. RIM needs that to change for a comeback to be possible.
  5. The BlackBerry prototype 10 has its own name. The smartphone model is called the Alpha Dev.
  6. The Alpha Dev currently resembles RIM’s PlayBook tablet. The prototype is smaller than the PlayBook, but doesn’t have a traditional keyboard. It also has a touch-frame.
  7. Alpha Dev’s screen is 4.2 inches. This screen size is supposed to help with the transition process that is often cumbersome with smartphones.
  8. The actual BlackBerry 10 could look completely different from the Alpha Dev. RIM designers aren’t finished testing the look and the features of the smartphone.
  9. Games will be involved. One developer is working on various games for the BlackBerry 10. One of those games is called “Shark Dash.”
  10. The smartphone will use cutting-edge “Cascades user interface framework” and HTML5. This will help create rich graphics and a slick camera.

The information used in this top 10 list was compiled from a Reuters report.


Article printed from InvestorPlace Media, https://investorplace.com/2012/05/10-things-to-know-about-rims-blackberry-10/.

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