RIM quiet on BlackBerry phone ditching

RIM

RIM said it has no comment on whether reports suggesting two phones planned for launch in 2012 have been ditched were true.

It was claimed two of three phones had been cancelled, including one featuring the new QNX, or BlackBerry 10, operating system.

Reports indicated the touchscreen Milan phone and the QWERTY-keyboard Colt device had been canned. The London model is set to stay, according to reports.

RIM declined a request for comment from IT Pro.

The news came after reports in December noted RIM had delayed the launch of its QNX handsets.

RIM was set to release some QNX phones this year. The only device it offers running the OS is the PlayBook, which has been causing trouble for the firm.

After revealing it was sitting on a pile of unsold PlayBook devices, RIM revealed the tablet had cost the company $485 million.

Earlier this week it emerged the cost of a PlayBook had dropped to 169 in Currys for the 16GB model.

RIM said it still had promotional plans in place with its partners that it expects to continue through to its fiscal Q4 period ending 3 March 2012.

Reports have also suggested RIM will uncloak its OS update for the PlayBook next week after receiving criticism for not releasing the software sooner.

Users have complained the PlayBook is unable to run BlackBerry Enterprise Server for email or the hugely popular BBM.

Tom Brewster

Tom Brewster is currently an associate editor at Forbes and an award-winning journalist who covers cyber security, surveillance, and privacy. Starting his career at ITPro as a staff writer and working up to a senior staff writer role, Tom has been covering the tech industry for more than ten years and is considered one of the leading journalists in his specialism.

He is a proud alum of the University of Sheffield where he secured an undergraduate degree in English Literature before undertaking a certification from General Assembly in web development.