BlackBerry 10 smartphones delayed till 2013, is it game over?
Earlier this week RIM confirmed that the first BlackBerry 10 device will swap the keyboard for a touchscreen. Now the company has announced we won’t be seeing the new BlackBerry handsets until early 2013. The news comes amid growing troubles for the company. It sounds like BlackBerry fans will have to be very patient. But will 2013 be too late for the new handsets? More this way.
RIM had hoped to introduce the new and improved BlackBerry 10 interface and smartphones by the end of this year, but it seems even RIM underestimated how long development would take. The phones now won’t be arriving until 2013, Thorsten Heins, President and CEO of RIM confirmed.
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“Our top priority going forward is the successful launch of our first BlackBerry 10 device, which we now anticipate will occur in the first quarter of calendar 2013,” he said (via Marketwatch).
Despite falling revenues, and job cuts, Heins promised that BlackBerry 10 is at the top of the company’s to do list. “The successful launch of the BlackBerry 10 platform and the delivery of high quality, full-featured BlackBerry 10 smartphones remain the Company’s number one priority.
“Over the past several weeks, RIM’s software development teams have made major progress in the development of key features for the BlackBerry 10 platform…”It’s just taken a little longer than expected.
“The integration of these features and the associated large volume of code into the platform has proven to be more time consuming than anticipated.” So 2013 it is.
“RIM’s development teams are relentlessly focussed on ensuring the quality and reliability of the platform and I will not compromise the product by delivering it before it is ready,” the CEO promised. “I am confident that the first BlackBerry 10 smartphones will provide a ground-breaking next generation smartphone user experience.”
That is at least some crumb of comfort for those awaiting the release of BlackBerry 10, but with its own troubles afflicting the company, RIM, and BlackBerry 10 will need to go some way to convincing fans of Google’s Android, Apple’s iOS and Microsoft’s Windows Phone to be tempted away, especially with the prospect of a new iPhone on the horizon. RIM is doing its hardest, but will 2013 could be too late.
User comments (3)
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David29 June 2012
This may be a promising new start for RIM in their strategy to only serve the 'business' market. But, if they are looking for the large mass sales in the 'consumer' market, this 'oil tanker' ship of a company will miss the Christmas sales.
Report as inappropriateDaRiCh01 July 2012
GAME OVER? They haven't even been IN THE GAME for ages. Blackberry's are quickly becoming relics of the last decade!. Such poorly made dated phones aren't acceptable these days. RIM (Relics In Motion).
Report as inappropriateRos08 July 2012
I will wait for the BB10. Best emailer and fast and secure. Looks like it will look good too. Hopefully improved apps and browser. Also if it is like my existing BB it will not need charging every 5 mins like my husbands Samsung Galaxy 11. I was going to change to sexy new phone but I am waiting - a few months is not long.
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