RIM shows more BlackBerry 10 features ahead of Q1 launch
updated 02:32 pm EDT, Wed October 10, 2012
Balance feature locks enterprise functions
Research In Motion headlined the second-day keynote at the MobileCon expo in San Diego, where the company once again showed off its upcoming BlackBerry 10 platform. Chief information officer Robin Bienfait reiterated RIM's commitment to building a fresh computing platform "from the ground up," and further claimed the mobile device is "approaching the functionality and power of a laptop."
The MobileCon demonstration builds on earlier previews, all of which show a touchscreen-optimized interface and a new virtual keyboard. Keeping to the enterprise focus at the convention, RIM senior manager Jeff Gadway focused on the BlackBerry "Balance" system that aims to bring a seamless experience between personal and business features without allowing content to slip between realms.
Many apps can be run simultaneously in personal and business mode, enabling users to quickly transition between communications or other features. Switching from personal mode when using the photos utility will prevent vacation photos from showing up alongside corporate images, for example. Gadway noted that users can lock Balance and hand the phone "to their kid in the back seat" without worrying about accidental communications to coworkers.
RIM promises that the first BlackBerry 10 devices will arrive in the first quarter of 2013, however a specific release date and other details have yet to be announced.
