BlackBerry 10: all the details revealed

The next generation BlackBerry 10 phones and operating system are on the way, ready to take on Apple and Samsung.

The BB10 features a slick new design and a touch interface.

Is this BlackBerry your next phone? RIM, the company behind BlackBerry, certainly hopes so as it tries to give its flagging sales a boost and compete with the likes of the iPhone and Samsung Galaxy S3.

Unveiled at the BlackBerry World 2012 event, the prototype BlackBerry 10 smartphone is a touchscreen, internet powerhouse designed along the lines of the current bestselling mobiles rather than BlackBerry’s traditional focus on QWERTY messaging specialists.

Known as BB10 for short, RIM demonstrated an early build of the device to developers and we got to see it in action. Featuring the same touch-sensitive bezel found on the BlackBerry Playbook tablet, it has a 4.2-inch screen with an impressive 1280×768 resolution.

Built for always-on multitasking, the slick interface is extremely easy to use: you can access any notifications by simply swiping across the screen and switch between applications with a touch, producing an effect that looks like a page being turned.

It’s also NFC-ready, which is the technology that enables contactless payments and apparently will function when the phone itself is turned off – something that would enable it to be used as a door pass or credit card without the need for power.

Anyone missing the built-in keypad will be pleased to know that messaging is nice and fluid on the full on-screen touchpad, using swype-style predictive text. And even though the BB10 prototype is touch only, models will be available with a physical QWERTY keypad.

The first BlackBerry 10 devices are expected to arrive towards autumn 2012. For more details check with RIM and have a look at the sneak peek video below.

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