BlackBerry's latest smartphones could see it return to glory [Article]

**W Hoa** · 01-26-2013, 04:03 PM

BlackBerry's latest smartphones could see it return to glory after several years in decline, according to experts.

Parent company Research In Motion (RIM) plans to launch two handsets, the Z10 and X10 on Wednesday. Pictures leaked online purporting to be the Z10 show a touchscreen phone along similar lines to the iPhone. The X10 is believed to be more of a classic BlackBerry, with a Qwerty keyboard.

A new tablet device is also in the pipeline.

The new BlackBerry 10 (BB10) handsets and software could lead to the firm's "resurrection", one expert says, after it saw its popularity wane in favour of phones like Apple's iPhone and Samsung's Galaxy S3.

Malik Kamal-Saadi, principal analyst with Informa, who has used the device ahead of the launch, says it has high specifications that allowed users to do "good stuff in a couple of clicks", which would appeal to both businesses and consumers.

He said the new operating system (OS) on the two expected handsets was a "trump card" that could see it win back customers lost through the poor performance of the previous BlackBerry 7 phones.

"The 'experience' is very attractive for business users and consumers. BB10 has what is needed to seduce back in both developed markets (Europe and North America). I haven't seen anything like it in terms of the experience," said Mr Kamal-Saadi.

Ernest Doku, technology expert with uSwitch.com, said: "For RIM and BlackBerry, it is very much the resurrection of the BlackBerry brand.

"Consumers have been waiting a long time to see what they were coming up with. They have fallen to the wayside but a lot of signs are pointing to this being their return to relevance in the smartphone market."

BlackBerry Crumble? New Phones May Save Brand

**Bold_until_Hybrid_Comes** · 01-26-2013, 04:35 PM

Good article. Only thing is that RIM is not BlackBerry's parent company. That would imply BlackBerry is company itself.

**emstardeluxe** · 01-26-2013, 06:22 PM

Article was good and quite positive, even if halfway down they mention that "some question whether the latest BlackBerry launch, delayed from last year is" (cue everyone's favourite phrase) "too little, too late"
(I don't see how it can ever be too late for good tech - do people really think we are stuck with the status quo until the end of time?)

**aha** · 01-26-2013, 08:15 PM

A sales rep in a Costco phone booth told me so too

**Jonesy1966** · 01-26-2013, 08:18 PM

I'm seeing more and more in published articles brief mentions of a new tablet (PlayBook), I'm actually starting to think we may well see one sooner rather than later.

**kfh227** · 01-26-2013, 09:27 PM

Some think a playbook is i nthe works seeing how inventory everywhere is depleted.

**bhrgvr** · 01-26-2013, 11:24 PM

PlayBook is in the works... Those who follow BlackBerryscoop know it... Here is the tweet:

@BlackberryScoop: I said it weeks ago and I will say it again: There IS a new #BB10Tablet coming and it will have upgraded hardware specs.

Sent from my BlackBerry 9860 using Tapatalk

**Andrew4life** · 01-26-2013, 11:35 PM

Originally Posted by bhrgvr

PlayBook is in the works... Those who follow BlackBerryscoop know it... Here is the tweet:

@BlackberryScoop: I said it weeks ago and I will say it again: There IS a new #BB10Tablet coming and it will have upgraded hardware specs.

Sent from my BlackBerry 9860 using Tapatalk

And we've said it before and I'll say it again. that twitter account has no credibility. Just a rumour mill.
Take it with a grain of salt.

On the other hand, we all know that BB10 will be on tablets eventually. Thor has mentioned it before, or maybe it was the CMO. Either way, we know it will be coming soon, but when it will be coming, no one knows yet.

**bhrgvr** · 01-26-2013, 11:42 PM

Originally Posted by Andrew4life

And we've said it before and I'll say it again. that twitter account has no credibility. Just a rumour mill.
Take it with a grain of salt.

On the other hand, we all know that BB10 will be on tablets eventually. Thor has mentioned it before, or maybe it was the CMO. Either way, we know it will be coming soon, but when it will be coming, no one knows yet.

But he seems to be someone working at RIM.... Whatever the case... I still will get myself the bb10 phone and a PlayBook later on...

Can't wait for the launch date to come... Though it is just hours away...

Sent from my BlackBerry 9860 using Tapatalk

**kbz1960** · 01-26-2013, 11:46 PM

blah......................

**GTiLeo** · 01-27-2013, 03:34 AM

i'v been reading all these arcticles posted about BB10 all only really talk abotu what RIM has showed us, no one has ever mentioned the true hidden power that developers are able to see in the QNX core, the power that can creat killer apps and intense gaming capabilities. the Playbook may have its flas but as a gaming platform there really aren't many that can beat how well it does on the hardware its runing it on, not to mention the ease of creating and porting apps to the platform, its a powerful and simple developing platform and on this aspect it does not get the credit it truly deserves