Leaked images purporting to show the next BlackBerry handset show a full touchscreen device more in line with flagship handsets from RIM's competitors Apple and Google.
The images, published on Vietnamese technology news site Tinhte.vn, appear to show the handset codenamed BlackBerry London, which is due for release early next year. The handset will be the first to run BlackBerry 10, the next version of the BlackBerry operating system
From the pictures, the BlackBerry London looks to have a minimalist industrial design similar to that of Apple's iPhone 5. The back is textured and it appears to have mini-HDMI and microUSB ports, as well as a microSD slot and removable battery.
The BlackBerry London is expected to be unveiled along with another BlackBerry model at a launch event on January 30, 2013. The new images are consistent with earlier leaked pictures showing both devices, which were originally scheduled for launch this year.
This isn't the first time RIM has ditched the famous BlackBerry keyboard. The first touchscreen BlackBerry with no physical keyboard was the Storm, released in November 2008.
Since then the companies fortunes have declined and it has seen rivals such as Apple and Samsung come to dominate, particularly in the US. Thorsten Heins, RIM's chief executive, is hoping that BB10 will be enough to turn the struggling brand around.
Industry analysts IDC said that BlackBerry had regained a place in the top five smartphone vendors in the third quarter of 2012 but only because rivals were losing their share at a faster rate. RIM's share of the market still declined year-on-year, despite its place in fifth on the list, behind Samsung and Apple.
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