Early details have leaked regarding RIM’s first Blackberry handset to run the company’s QNX operating system and is allegedly code named the Blackberry Colt.
QNX debuted on the Blackberry Playbook tablet and although we knew RIM has been developing a smartphone, details have been scant. It was only last week that RIM officially announced it’s Blackberry 7 OS handsets, including the Bold 9900, Torch 9860 and the Torch 9810.
The design of the Colt is unmistakably Blackberry, with the full Qwerty keyboard and touch-sensitive trackpad. However the user interface is drastically different to Blackberry OS 7, instead it’s (unsurprisingly) a mini version of the Playbook where open applications are displayed as thumbnails you flick off the screen.
Surprisingly considering all the new handsets run with 1.2Ghz processors, early reports suggest that it’s running a single processor, unlike the dual-core Playbook. Although this could of course change before the phone is released.
In addition, it’s rumoured the handset will not support the existing Blackberry Enterprise Server code, instead companies that use Microsoft Exchange email will have to use Microsoft ActiveSync which will work out of the box. RIM has faced criticism for launching the Playbook without native email, allegedly because the code needed to be rewritten for the move from Blackberry Messenger to QNX. Again, this could change before the phone launches.
The Blackberry Colt is due for release in Q1 2012, although there’s no confirmation of when this will get to the UK.
Are you tempted by the Blackberry Colt? Or would you rather have a Bold 9900? Let us know via Facebook and @recombu on Twitter.
Via: BGR
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