RIM sends out invites for BlackBerry 10 launch event

Research In Motion is all set to showcase its upcoming operating system—BlackBerry 10—in all its glory. According to CrackBerry, the company has started sending out invitations for the launch events of the operating system, which will be held on January 30, 2013. The launch events will be held in cities around the world, including New York, Toronto, London, Paris, Johannesburg and Dubai.

There aren't many details other than this so far. All we know is that RIM will be showcasing the operating system during the launch events and will undoubtedly unveil the next line-up of BlackBerry devices that will be running the OS. This could also include the BlackBerry 10 L-Series handset that was recently leaked in a video.

Invites have been sent

The video—leaked by Vietnamese website tinhte.vn—shows the L-Series handset compared to the Dev Alpha B unit and this new handset appears to be a sleeker, more refined version. In the video we can see the layout of the icons, the various gestures that are now seen with the new platform and also the multitasking capabilities. The website notes that although the OS is still in its beta stage, the functionality of the device is smooth and all the features are present including texting, connecting to the BIS and calling capabilities.

Apart from the interface of the operating system, we can see the design of the handset, which should be a huge selling point for Research in Motion when it launches the handset.

Earlier on, the same website had posted a large gallery of images, and unlike previous leaks in the past, this post has high-quality images that show all the facets of the handset. The handset looks like it has been designed well and the images show the removable back cover, NFC antenna, location of the micro-SIM and microSD card slots as well as the removable 1800 mAh battery.

Research in Motion announced that it will hold its BlackBerry 10 launch event on January 30, 2013. The event will be held simultaneously in multiple countries around the world. This day will mark the official launch of its new platform, BlackBerry 10, as well as the unveiling of the first two BlackBerry 10 smartphones. Details on the smartphones and their availability will be announced at the event.

BlackBerry 10 will offer a large catalogue of leading applications from across the globe and across categories, including Games, Productivity, Social, Lifestyle and Leisure, Multimedia and Published Content, as well as applications designed for business and enterprise use.

The BlackBerry 10 platform recently achieved FIPS 140-2 certification, which means government agencies will be able to deploy BlackBerry 10 smartphones and BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 as soon as it is available. The company claims that this marks the first time BlackBerry products have been certified ahead of their launch.