The model numbers and a few specs for some upcoming BlackBerry models have been spotted in UProf files online. UAProfs are a way for web sites to know the capabilities of mobile browsers, and thus the kind of content to serve up. The BlackBerry 9900, 9850, and 9860 are all running OS 6.1, which means they’re likely to be the Dakota/Montana/Bold Touch, the Storm 3/Monaco, and its European counterpart, respectively.
The BlackBerry 9900 has a 480 x 640 display according to the UAProf, while the 9850 and 9860 both have a 480 x 800 screen – the highest-res RIM has released to date. The Bold Touch as we know it will have a 5 megapixel camera, 1.2 GHz processor, 8 GB of internal storage plus microSD memory card, Wi-Fi b/g/n with mobile hotspot, GPS, 3G, NFC, and augmented reality support. The Storm 3 is identical on all fronts, except it sacrifices the physical keyboard for a 3.7-inch display, as opposed to 2.8.
NFC, augmented reality, mobile hotspot, and faster processors are all good additions to the BlackBerry family, but those are areas in which competing smartphones already have a head start. Eventually RIM will go multi-core with their phones and use the QNX Neutrino operating system, but based on their software roadmap, I doubt we’ll see that this year.