BlackBerry 7 is set to debut on the the BlackBerry Bold 9900 as early as next week. RIM’s new BlackBerry OS, however, isn’t so much a new OS as it is an update to BlackBerry 6. The real new BlackBerry operating system is QNX, and, according to BGR, the first QNX powered BlackBerry, the BlackBerry Colt, will make its debut in Q1 2012.
Last December, RIM co-CEO Mike Lazaridis at that All Things D: Dive into Mobile conference stated that we would see QNX on a BlackBerry smartphone when dual core processors became available. The weird thing about that comment was that dual core processors in mobile phones were already a reality as the LG Optimus 2X was available for pre-order at the time of his comment and launched just days after. The weird thing today is that the BlackBerry Colt, at least for right now, is powered by a single core processor, although BGR’s source that could change by the time the BlackBerry Colt launches.
Regardless of whether the BlackBerry Colt will remain single core, or, move to a dual core chip by the time it launches brings up an interesting question… Will RIM’s new line of BlackBerry 7 smartphones be able to be upgraded to QNX? I am sure RIM will try to remain silent on this point as long as possible, but, something tells me that RIM will eventually have to answer this question sooner rather than later. Not doing so could potentially hobble BlackBerry 7 smartphone sales…
[Via BGR]