The Saviour of BB10 Has Been Spotted, Can The BlackBerry R10 Really Pull it Off?

Well hello there. Just days after the BlackBerry Q10 hit stores, bringing the buttons back with a vengeance, a follow up phone has leaked out online, promising a rock solid keyboard and BlackBerry 10 with a low price tag. Is this the phone that will keep BlackBerry alive?

CrackBerry spotted the BlackBerry R10 on Instagram. User tamarabatal appears to have snagged a dummy unit of the next-gen phone early. Based on the bright colours (Red, and a white model in the background), plastic materials and BlackBerry Curve style isolated keyboard, we’d say this will be a touchscreen BlackBerry 10 phone with a much cheaper pricetag – the premium Q10 costs more than £30 per month on a two year contract, or an eye-watering £579.95 SIM-free.

That’s a smart move on BlackBerry’s part, as though flagship phones are where there’s most money to be made, right now the company needs to get BlackBerry 10 into the hands of as many punters as possible, so that developers will get on board with the friendly but app-lacking new software. A cheap and cheery phone like the BlackBerry R10 might be just what the doctor ordered.

There’s no official launch date for this phone just yet, or a list of specs (though we’re guessing it skips the HD screen and 4G connection) but the tipster says it’ll ship “Q3” – sometime between July and September. Reckon you’ll be waiting for one? Let us know what you think in the comments below! [Source]

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BlackBerry Z10 Confirmed Secure For The UK Government

A recent report claimed that BlackBerry 10 and the BlackBerry Z10 are “not secure enough for essential work” and that the platform and the smartphone were rejected by the British government. The Guardian published the news earlier this week, noting that BlackBerry 7.1 was allowed by government workers with “restricted” classifications, but that BlackBerry 10 doesn’t meet those standards.

BlackBerry responded to The Guardian’s report on Wednesday shooting down those claims. “Media reports alleging that BlackBerry 10 has been ‘rejected’ for U.K. government use are both false and misleading,” the company said in a press release. “BlackBerry has a long-established relationship with CESG and we remain the only mobile solution approved for use at ‘Restricted’ when configured in accordance with CESG guidelines.” The company said the delay with BlackBerry 10 isn’t because it’s not secure enough, but rather because of a re-structuring of the approval process, and pointed to recent certifications by the U.S. and German governments as proof that the operating system is indeed secure.

“We’re confident that BlackBerry 10 will only strengthen our position as the mobile solution of choice for the U.K. government,” BlackBerry said. If not, the company could face a serious blow in an industry that formerly used to guarantee sales. [Source]

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BlackBerry 10 Leaked Images Disclose Full Details

We're just over a week away from RIM's big BlackBerry 10 launch event, and leaks of the new devices and operating system are coming fast and furious. The latest leak to hit the internet is a batch of 100 screenshots of the new BlackBerry 10 platform, posted by BGR. The images detail everything from the setup of a new BlackBerry 10 device, to the settings menus, to the new home screens, to RIM's Siri-like voice control system. Unfortunately, the leaked images don't give us any more clues as to what unannounced apps will be available at launch, nor do they show us what it will be like to actually use the operating system once it's loaded with accounts and data.

RIM's hosting a major, multi-city event on January 30th to finally unveil the new platform and its first devices to go along with it. It is expected to announced carrier partnerships and pricing as well, and all four major carriers in the US have already pledged to support the new platform once it is available. BGR's anonymous sources say pricing for the new devices will be lower than the usual $199 on-contract price that we see for most high-end smartphones these days, so it will be interesting to see how RIM decides to price the first BlackBerry 10 smartphones. Either way, we'll be there in full force to to cover RIM's big unveil. [TheVerge]

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