RIM to give out BlackBerry OS 10 dev prototypes in early May

RIM is preparing a new OS - called BlackBerry 10 - to replace the two current OSes that it uses (BB OS 7 on phones and Tablet OS on the PlayBook). The BB OS 10 will launch late this year, but app developers can look forward to playing with it sooner - 2000 developer prototypes running a version of the OS will be given to the attendees of the BlackBerry Jam conference taking place in early May.

RIM’s VP of developer relations, Alec Saunders, says that the prototypes will have a very different user experience compared to the finalized BlackBerry 10 OS as they are intended to be just tools to help developers port their apps to the new platform.

The BlackBerry PlayBook‘s OS is reportedly similar to what BB 10 will be and that will make porting PlayBook apps to the new OS easy. Saunders says his goal is that “every single PlayBook app works on BB10”.

That‘s good, but what’s with RIM’s reluctance to show what the finalized OS will look like? Saunders says this is intentional as they want to take time and build up interest before launching the OS.

We have seen some alleged screenshots of the upcoming OS, but who knows how much will change until the time comes for RIM to unleash the first BlackBerry 10-powered devices.

New phones that run on BlackBerry OS 10 won’t be here for a while (at least until Q3 according toleaked roadmap), the oft leaked BlackBerry London might be the first. The PlayBook will see an update to BB OS 10 too, but it’s not clear if that will happen before or after the BB 10 phones launch.

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Apple, Nokia, Motorola and RIM argue over the nano-SIM design

Giesecke & Devrient, the German company that invented the SIM card, recently came up with the idea of the nano-SIM. This new, even smaller version of the SIM is only a third of the already tiny micro-SIM and will help device manufacturers save some precious space inside their devices.

Image courtesy Esato

But now there is problem. Hardware manufacturers have proposed their own version of the nano-SIM, which they think should be made the standard. Once chosen, the other manufacturers will then have to license it to use it in their devices.

Two of the designs put forth till now are by Apple and Nokia. Apple's design makes use of a tray to hold the nano-SIM, not unlike the ones it uses on the iPhone and the iPad. Nokia, of course thinks that this is not a good idea and that its version of the nano-SIM has significant technical advantages. Moreover, Motorola and RIM seem to agree with Nokia on this.

But if you think Apple is alone in this battle, then you're wrong because Apple is being backed by most of the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI). Moreover, Apple is registering six different European subsidiaries as voting bodies, that can provide up to 45 votes each, which should be more than enough to outnumber Nokia's existing 92 votes.

Either way, it's certain that the nano-SIM is coming your way shortly. But then, considering the technical advantages it has, it's actually a good thing. And it will be backward compatible with regular SIM using an adaptor. Just make sure you don't lose it.

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