Will RIM’s last stand get Blackberry out of a jam?
The struggling smartphone pioneer has announced the launch date for its Blackberry 10 platform, including a total overhaul of software and new smartphones -- a final effort to compete with Apple and Google, who have dominated the smartphone market.
The event, scheduled for Jan. 30, 2013, will include the launch of two new phones, one a full touch-screen model and one more in line with the current Blackberry Bold. Both will feature a new interface called Blackberry Flow, and a way to incorporate both personal and work accounts in one device.
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“Our team has been working tirelessly to bring our customers innovative features combined with a best in class browser, a rich application ecosystem, and cutting-edge multimedia capabilities,” said Thorsten Heins, President and CEO of Research In Motion. “All of this will be integrated into a user experience – the BlackBerry Flow – that is unlike any smartphone on the market today.”
The company highlighted three features that it says will distinguish Blackberry 10 phones from the iPhone and Android-based phones like the Samsung Galaxy, which have dominated the industry by introducing new features and largers, higher-resolution screens.
BlackBerry Flow and BlackBerry Hub
BlackBerry Flow is a new user experience that allows seamless navigation across open applications and the BlackBerry Hub, the company explains. All messages, notifications, feeds, and calendar events come into the BlackBerry Hub and no matter what the user is doing with the device, with a simple gesture, they can peek into the Hub at any time.
BlackBerry Keyboard
The BlackBerry Keyboard learns how you write and adapts to how you type so you can write faster and more accurately, RIM said.
BlackBerry Balance
With BlackBerry Balance, personal apps and information are kept separate from work data, and the customer can switch from their personal to work profile with a simple gesture, RIM said. The work profile is encrypted, enabling organizations to protect their content and applications.
Details about BlackBerry 10 can be found at: www.blackberry.com/blackberry10
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