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January 24, 2012

Changed Products May Not Be Released Until Later This Year for Struggling RIM

Just a matter of hours after a top management shake-up, news broke that Research In Motion (RIM) may be launching two BlackBerry Curves smartphones within a few months, according to a media report.

In what appears to be a leaked company document, Boy Genius Report (BGR) claims RIM will also soon offer a new PlayBook tablet. RIM is also likely to offer BlackBerry 7 devices for global and emerging markets, BGR said.

But it won’t be until later in 2012 that a BlackBerry 10 handset will be offered, BGR adds. Also, BlackBerry smartphones and devices will run on BlackBerry 10 this coming autumn, with a phone known as “London” to launch in September. In December, a BlackBerry 10 smartphone will be offered. It may have a touchscreen display and QWERTY keyboard, BGR said. The two new Curves will be the 9230, an Edge version of a smartphone, and the Curve 9320, which will offer High Speed Pack Access (HSPA,) according to BGR.

The new PlayBook tablet is likely to feature a 1.5GHz processor, built-in HSPA+, and Near Field Communications (NFC). It will be launched likely in the late spring.

It was noted by media reports that the suspected new product lineup doesn’t include any major changes until later in the year. That comes on top of recent concerns by industry analysts that the choice of a new CEO at the company doesn’t appear to represent any fundamental change for the company.

Thorsten Heins, the new CEO, said this week that the company’s management shake-up will not lead to a "seismic change" – a statement that has some analysts concerned for RIM’s future, according to a report from TechZone 360.

In addition, The Toronto Star speculates that if Heins is not planning to make changes “he will be gone within 15 to 18 months. He will be a transitional CEO and this will be a transitional board,” Jaguar CEO Vic Alboini told the newspaper.


Ed Silverstein is a MobilityTechzone contributor. To read more of his articles, please visit his columnist page.

Edited by Chris DiMarco


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