RIM shows off BlackBerry 10 development alpha unit with a 4.2-inch display

A couple of days back, an image had surfaced showing what handset the developers would receive to test the upcoming BlackBerry 10 OS. This image popped up a day before the annual BlackBerry World event, which started on the 1st of May, giving BlackBerry fans a glimpse of what the future of BlackBerry handsets would look like. At the event, Research in Motion took to the stage and formally introduced the prototype of the QNX-based BlackBerry 10 OS. This handset will not be the final unit once this platform goes official, but by looking at this prototype, we can gather that the final unit will not be much different.

The prototype goes official

According to a report by Engadget, the specifications of the handset had been revealed at the event and from the looks of it, Research in Motion has certainly stepped up their game to face the increasing competition from the likes of Apple and Android. As far as specifications go, the developer alpha unit of the BlackBerry 10 OS features a 4.2-inch display boasting a resolution of 1280 x 768, 16GB of onboard storage, 1GB of RAM, a microSD card slot for storage expansion, a micro SIM slot and a mini HDMI port. The report notes that there is still no word available on the processor or the screen type of this test unit. The handset used by the team at Engadget at the event was running on PlayBook OS 2.0, so the website did not get a chance to experience the upcoming BlackBerry 10 OS.

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However, Research in Motion has put up a promotional video showing what one can expect once the final version of the handset is available. The OS appears to be highly gesture based and by looking at the video, we can see that the Canadian brand has done a lot with the virtual keyboard allowing one to type quickly. This has been a major concern for BlackBerry loyalists, as the physical keyboard had been an integral part of their loyalty towards the brand. In a related report by CNET, Thorsten Heins, CEO of Research in Motion stated, “Typing really matters to our BlackBerry users. So how do we make the best keypad on the market even better on BlackBerry 10? This new keypad saves you time even on full touch BlackBerry. It’s still about typing and getting things done. I love it."

Here is a look at what the upcoming BlackBerry 10 OS will look like once it is launched.