[emirozmen]

Research In Motion is gearing up to release its first BlackBerry 10 device. So far, we�ve seen a few leaked photos of BlackBerry 10 and even a prototype photo of the �BlackBerry London� pop up. But when will a BlackBerry 10 device release? RIM�s CEO, Thorsten Heins, has stated we�ll see a BlackBerry 10 device by �later half of 2012″.

One of our sources has revealed to us that RIM intends to announce the first BlackBerry 10 device by mid-August. The first BlackBerry 10 device will be touch only and we�re told has a projected market release for first half of October. As expected, RIM plans to pump a lot of marketing dollars into BlackBerry 10. The early release shows this as the first BlackBerry 10 device will release slightly after the back-to-school and just before the Holiday markets.

We�re also told the first BlackBerry 10 device with physical QWERTY keyboard is planned for an expected Q1 2013 release. Although, we�re unsure if this will be the BlackBerry 10 slider we�ve been hearing about. Nonetheless, we�re excited to hear that the first BlackBerry 10 device is pegged for an earlier than thought release! How do you feel about the first BlackBerry 10 device being touch-only?


As seen on: Exclusive: RIM to Announce First BlackBerry 10 Device in August – Release by October | N4BB - News for BlackBerry - forums, leaks, rumors, videos, faqs, reviews

[BBA Brian]

gotta admit... it takes balls to post an exclusive like that the day after pushing a rumor of a strategic partnership announcement that has not happened yet...

I would say it lends more credibility to the exclusive as I would think Lucas would have to be as sure as he could be about the rumor given the flack he is getting over the rumor that never happened.

[Rello]

Dude shouldn't be getting any flack...n4bb has broken many exclusive stories on BB...everyone is going to be incorrect every once in awhile.

I'll probably pass on the first BB10 device. The 9900's keyboard has spoiled me so think i'll go with a slider when it comes out...but if BB10 wows me enough, I may just change my mind

[Rello]

Dude shouldn't be getting any flack...n4bb has broken many exclusive stories on BB...everyone is going to be incorrect every once in awhile.

I'll probably pass on the first BB10 device. The 9900's keyboard has spoiled me so think i'll go with a slider when it comes out...but if BB10 wows me enough, I may just change my mind

[Knightcrawler]

I wonder if this is the same source he cited for the strategic partnership rumor. If there is an announcement today, i will get excited about this.....but i dont have high hopes.

Besides, if it's not october, it'll be pretty soon there after. I imagine they'd aim for a release before december, so a november release is the only other option if they cant get it all tied by by halloween.

[morganplus8]

This scenario was given to us months ago, why believe it now? We have always known that October was the first BB 10 launch date and that we would have to wait for a qwerty board until Q1 2013. Let's not post information that is that stale.

[BB10FTW]

No news is bad news......good news is bad news......bad news is a death warrant. It seems that no matter what someone or multiple people are gonna complain. The RUMOR yesterday didn't turn out.......oh my goodness a RUMOR didn't turn out to be true.......Its a RUMOR most times they are not correct. This speculation that seems to be fairly accurate it good and yes we may have heard other rumors of dates but the more info on certain dates the more likely it is to be true. Everyone has to get their panties in a bunch for no reason and i for one am pretty sick of it. Stay Calm and Be Bold.

[anon(1049620)]

Every year, RIM announces their new phone in August and it's released in September/October. You don't need a source to speculate about this kind of schedule. It's the standard.

[FlashFlare11]

I remember a September release was rumored as well. If RIM really is planning an October launch, they should announce it either in mid/late-September or BlackBerry DevCon (and launch a week after that). August is way too early for an October release, in my opinion.

[Bilaal]

Don't they send the phone's off for carrier testing 3 months prior to release date? Announce it come August, released by October.

Or, why can't they 'pull an Apple' and have it released the following week? Then again, a company like RIM has to build up hype for people to be convinced..but 3months?

[gimpy39]

if i had to guess, i'd put 20 timbits on October 10, 2012, 10-10 bb10

[playbookster]

I will be getting the first all touch bb10 device

[travaz]

Whatever it is it damm well better be 4G LTE or its toast!

[Rootbrian]

Just speculation. That's all I see. I'll believe it when I see it.

Once it does arrive in october, or november, I'll be bugged to death to try it out!!!!

[mithrazor]

I remember a September release was rumored as well. If RIM really is planning an October launch, they should announce it either in mid/late-September or BlackBerry DevCon (and launch a week after that). August is way too early for an October release, in my opinion.

It's a good time frame actually. Atleast it's not like the Playbook being launched 6 months later.

Apple releases their hardware about 3 weeks later. So almost a month. And this is the first device in RIM's BB10 portfolio. So they have to build up buzz.

And two months is a good time. Especially if they announce it late August. That's about a month and a half time frame. Which is perfect IMO.

[kill_9]

Releasing the first BlackBerry X (10) smartphone in mid-autumn misses the back-to-school and back-to-work sales period of late July to early September. Thorsten Heins needs to shake-up the traditional release cycle and market the H3ll out of the new smartphone beginning mid-June and throughout the summer. However, without BlackBerry Enterprise Server support the new smartphones are dead to government and private sector organizations. "Be Bold" and live up to the marketing slogan.

[[email protected]]

It's a good time frame actually. Atleast it's not like the Playbook being launched 6 months later.

Apple releases their hardware about 3 weeks later. So almost a month. And this is the first device in RIM's BB10 portfolio. So they have to build up buzz.

And two months is a good time. Especially if they announce it late August. That's about a month and a half time frame. Which is perfect IMO.

I think it's a mistake to announce a product more than 4 weeks in advance.

That's asking the impatient consumer to wait nearly two months before it hits the shelves.

3 to 4 weeks tops.

[trsbbs]

It is going to be a brutal Spring and Summer for RIM if they can not get this thing out the door sooner.

I am not seeing the changes in RIM needed internally. Better lip service but the same old thing. It's coming. Wait, it will be here later this year.

If they are depending on OS7 phone to carry them over they are sadly mistaken.

Sigh...

Tim

[OMGitworks]

Why the heck would they release it without a physical keyboard? Seems like the PB launch all over again not releasing a product with one of BB's most favored features, say the physical keyboard or native e-mail on the PB. The OS itself isn't going to be enough to get buyers who want the BB physical keyboard and not enough to beat out other touch screen only phones.

[lnichols]

Why the heck would they release it without a physical keyboard? Seems like the PB launch all over again not releasing a product with one of BB's most favored features, say the physical keyboard or native e-mail on the PB. The OS itself isn't going to be enough to get buyers who want the BB physical keyboard and not enough to beat out other touch screen only phones.

People who want the keyboard probably have a newer OS7 device, or can get one, or can wait a few more months after the all touch BB10 device is released and get one of those. RIM is losing the majority of marketshare in the US to all touch slab offerings from Apple and Android OEM's. Makes sense to try to stop the bleeding and try to win back people who left before catering to the loyal base, who really don't have any other good qwerty options on the market to leave for. Plus if they released the first BB10 device with a qwerty everyone would say same old RIM behind the times, or something like that. All touch smartphones are what people are buying lots of right now, not qwerty phones.

[Rello]

Why the heck would they release it without a physical keyboard? Seems like the PB launch all over again not releasing a product with one of BB's most favored features, say the physical keyboard or native e-mail on the PB. The OS itself isn't going to be enough to get buyers who want the BB physical keyboard and not enough to beat out other touch screen only phones.

You're completely missing the picture in the US market. Question, when was the last flagship android device with a keyboard released? Lol there wasn't ha. The majority of people want a slab device And like Inicholas said, most probably already have a OS7 device. There are about 3 or 4+ models of qwerty berries people can choose from right now and you see how those are selling. Personally, I love my 9900 and its keyboard, but its screen is too small for media consumption and with RIM moving to touch-specific UI, I wonder how they'll keep the experience the same on a device that has to make room for their keyboards. For now, a slab or slider is definitely the way to go to win folks back to the BB Platform

[Mystic205]

Which of the 21 flavours of LTE do you want?

Whatever it is it damm well better be 4G LTE or its toast!

[Alex_Hong]

alright alright. Lets take a step back and just wait a for a couple of days till BlackBerry World arrive. Maybe we would get a glimpse of what BB10 could offer. Then, we would have a better idea of what RIM is planning.

Though the main thing i still strongly maintain is the need for RIM to do some serious marketing after they officially start selling it. Most people dont even know the playbook, let alone a new BB10 phone is coming out. If no one is expecting it, it will be a slow start, which is not good. They need to board as many people on BB10 as early on as possible. If not it will be titled a flop and developers will still be questioning whether to develop apps.

Then they definitely need to have working demo units in stores. Over the past 6 months, I've been seeing an increase in the amount of carriers' stores displaying a working playbook with a 9900. Which is definitely nice when people can see and touch devices. Hopefully BB10 will be the same. I walked in to a local store yesterday and a majority of it are HTC Android phones (which is the latest and greatest of Android), If October is the date of launch, it may very well coincide with other major phone launch. iPhone, Samsung Galaxy SIII and maybe WP8. So the carriers will of course display the phones that they think will sell most, which you can see is a problem for BB10. Unless it is really a great product that the carriers think that would entice more consumers, they may very well choose to display other phones when there is a space constrain.

I can list a lot more but you can see where this is going. Everything is going to depend on the final product. Even great marketing will only tide them through the initial adoption phase. If the product is crap, eventually people will steer off it. Tell their friends that its crap. and it will just be a free fall deep into the bowels of .

Maybe too much doom and gloom in what i wrote above. hahahaha.

What we can do as people who wants RIM to do well with BB10, is to share news on our own social networks. Not just cyber, but in person as well. If BB world does unveil some of the BB10's glory, share the videos, articles, etc. Many will be skeptical, but some will still see it. Create more awareness that a brand new BlackBerry platform will be arriving in the coming months. Provided its impressive. things like what TAT demoed earlier this year. But at this point, RIM needs something impressive to unveil inorder to capture more awareness.

Back to square one again, the product needs to be good.

[BBNation]

How is this even news ? RIM said long time ago that it will be released in later 2012 so this is not rumor or news anymore..

[dynot]

How is this even news ? RIM said long time ago that it will be released in later 2012 so this is not rumor or news anymore..

I may have missed a thread or two but isn't this the first time a specific month has been mentioned? All I've heard is terms like. "later in the year" and such.