Recap of BlackBerry 10 Experience Launch event

Research In MotionThe buildup is over. President and CEO Thorsten Heins took to the stage today for the BlackBerry 10 Experience Launch event. Here is a summary of today’s event:

  • Introduction:
  • The most challenging but also most exhilarating year in his life
  • Recognition for the RIM team for their hard work to get to this point
  • Today is not the finish line but the starting line: BlackBerry 10 will keep people moving.
  • Today is a new day in RIM’s history. Two years ago, RIM decided to go it alone with its own mobile operating system (based on QNX).
  • Company rebrands: “From this point forward, RIM becomes BlackBerry.” / “One brand, one promise”
  • Devices and BlackBerry 10:
  • BlackBerry Z10 and BlackBerry Q10 (with physical keyboard) announced
  • Irrespective of which one you choose, it will be the “best keyboard experience”
  • BlackBerry 10: Demonstration of “BlackBerry Hub” multitasking along with “BlackBerry Peek” and “BlackBerry Flow”.
  • BlackBerry 10: Demonstration of “BlackBerry Keyboard” – One thumb to do all your typing
  • Multi-language predictive ability. Able to deal with typos like missed spaces
  • BlackBerry 10: Demonstration of “BlackBerry Balance” to help separate work and personal work but applications coexist to facilitate switch back and forth
  • New features in BBM include BBM Video and BBM Screenshare which lets you share your screen
  • BlackBerry Remember demonstration
  • BlackBerry Camera demonstration with TimeShift
  • Picture Editor demonstration
  • BlackBerry Story Maker: Video creation
  • BlackBerry World: Over 70,000 applications available at launch including Skype, Amazon Kindle, WhatsApp, SAP, Angry Birds Star Wars
  • BlackBerry World: All major record labels, TV and movie studios onboard
  • Availability:
  • US: BlackBerry Z10 coming in March from major carriers
  • Canada: BlackBerry Z10 will be available starting February 5th. Pricing will start at CA$149.99 with a three-year contract.
  • UK: BlackBerry Z10 to launch on January 30th
  • BlackBerry Q10 expected to launch in April in U.S.
  • In closing, Heins announced that Alicia Keys has been hired as BlackBerry Global Creative Director.

And that’s a wrap. Specific details about devices and availability to follow shortly.