Can RIM Still Make a Comeback With the BlackBerry 10?

It's no secret that Research In Motion has had a tough couple of months, with the highlight of their failures being the BlackBerry PlayBook. RIM is fighting back to stay relevant in the market though, which is both admirable and a wee bit painful to watch at the same time.

In mid-February, RIM released OS 2.0 for the PlayBook. It added a ton of features that should have already been included in the original tablet when it was first released, so you could say that the move has gone unappreciated. And just a couple of weeks ago, they released the Mini Keyboard for BlackBerry which transformed the tablet into a pretty nifty laptop.

However, it seems like RIM is done trying to atone for the PlayBook's failures and is instead focusing on the future. In a blog post, the manufacturer has announced that it will be distributing a limited number of its next-generation phones called the BlackBerry 10 to developers who will be attending an upcoming developer event.

These units won't be running the final BlackBerry 10 software but will instead come equipped with a modified PlayBook OS. The prototypes will be given away to developers so that they can try out BlackBerry 10 applications ahead of the platform's launch, which will be held later this year. Aside from the development device, RIM will also be unveiling the the BlackBerry 10 Native SDK, BlackBerry 10 WebWorks SDK, BlackBerry 10 SDK for Adobe Air, and the BlackBerry 10 SDK for Android apps.

The BlackBerry 10 launch is long overdue. RIM has, in fact, admitted that they had to push it back a few months because of some manufacturing or supply issue. We all know that time is of the essence in the mobile and tech industry and it seems like this RIM debacle has gone on long enough.

Two big questions remain: Can RIM still catch up and make a comeback? And even if they can, does anyone still care?

Article by Hazel Chua
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