At BlackBerry World 2012, Research In Motion CEO Thorsten today reconfirmed that BlackBerry 7 smartphones will not be upgradeable to BlackBerry 10. Instead, the two operating systems are likely to co-exist.
Heins explained that BlackBerry 7 would continue to power entry-level devices while higher-end devices would run BlackBerry 10. RIM continues to introduce new BlackBerry devices (such as the BlackBerry 9220) in emerging markets and as more and more users replace their feature phones with smartphones. It looks like BlackBerry 7 could be around for another two years at least.
RIM has already confirmed that the BlackBerry Playbook will be upgraded to BlackBerry 10.
For now, if you want to get a new BlackBerry device, your best move may be to wait until the first BlackBerry 10 smartphone launches (hopefully) later this year.
Read more: The Verge