Dive summary:
- Blackberry’s first two smartphones will be launched Jan. 30, 2013, with one having a touch screen and one with a hardware keyboard.
- The new Blackberry smartphones can be used immediately by governments and will not require the post-launch testing required by previous Blackberry phones.
- Estimates are that the Blackberry smartphones will be on shelves in March.
From the article:
Even with a firm date set on an official platform launch, the timeline of release is all-important here. RIM has been criticized in the past for showing and promising too much early, only to encounter delays bringing things to market later on. At this point, we’re very familiar with what BB10 offers in terms of software; all eyes will be on release date and pricing of the two launch devices come the end of January.