Research In Motion won't officially debut its new BlackBerry 10 smartphones until Jan. 30, but developers are already racing to ensure the X10 and Z10 are flush with applications by the time the phones' enigmatic release date arrives, submitting more than 15,000 apps in under two days, according to BGR.
RIM's Vice President of developer relations Alec Saunders confirmed developers have been in a frenzy creating apps for the X10 and Z10 ahead of the phones' rumored Feb. 28 release date. Developers recently submitted over 15,000 new apps for BlackBerry 10 as part of "Port-A-Thon," a virtual event the company designed to encourage developers to port their new apps over to the BlackBerry 10 platform by offering a $100 incentive for each app submitted and later approved by RIM for distribution in its app store. As BGR notes, this is could be both good and bad news for BlackBerry 10 users. The flood of apps hitting RIM's app store from excited developers should ensure a healthy, diverse selection, but the $100 incentive doesn't exactly inspire confidence that the apps will be worth downloading.
While RIM has still yet to confirm an official release date for the X10 and Z10, an image has surfaced online suggesting a Feb. 28 release for the new smartphones, according to Digital Trends. A screenshot from Best Buy Canada's stock control system shows a BlackBerry 10 device listed with a release date of Feb. 28 and shows a retail price of $799. Although, which model the report is referring to is unclear. If accurate, the pricing would be $50 less than an unlocked 64GB Apple iPhone 5, and at least $250 more than the average cost for a 16GB Samsung Galaxy S3.
While the phones won't be released for another month, the new BlackBerry 10 phones are already receiving stellar reviews.
"Research in Motion has won key government security certification for its BlackBerry 10 operating system months ahead of its launch, allowing the smartphone to be used in secure government workplaces," reported Zack Whittaker of CNET.
When the BlackBerry 10 is eventually released on Jan. 30 the phone will reportedly be available in two models, the X10 and Z10, according to BGR. The Z10, also known as the L-series, features a touch-screen keyboard, removable back cover, NFC antenna, micro-SIM and microSD slots, and a removable 1,800mAh battery.
The X10 model opts for a more traditional design using the old school QWERTY style keyboard. The phone will reportedly be available in both black and white, and rumors indicate the phone will feature a 4.2-inch screen with 1280x768 resolution.
"In building BlackBerry 10, we set out to create a truly unique mobile computing experience that constantly adapts to your needs. Our team has been working tirelessly to bring our customers innovative features combined with a best in class browser, a rich application ecosystem, and cutting-edge multimedia capabilities. All of this will be integrated into a user experience - the BlackBerry Flow - that is unlike any smartphone on the market today," said Thorsten Heins, President and CEO of RIM.
Rather not wait until Jan. 30 to get your hands on RIM's new smartphone? You can pre-order the BlackBerry 10 now from Canadian carrier, Rogers.