Those of you who saw the first of RIM’s next-generation BlackBerry lineup may have been turned off by the lack of a physical keyboard, but this spiritual successor to the Torch is looking pretty sharp. This slider, code-named Milan, is one of many upcoming BlackBerry 10 devices, bearing code-names like Lisbon, Nevada, and London. Details on specs are slim, but the display apparently has better pixel density than the iPhone 4, which is certainly saying something. Of course it will be running a new operating system akin to that on the PlayBook tablet, and though it’s hard to tell scale from this picture, judging from standard keyboard sizes, it looks like that display might be in the 4-inch range. Design-wise, there aren’t any hardware buttons on the front face anymore, like menu, call, hang up, or even a trackpad, but this looks fairly early – layout changes may happen before this thing goes public.
If nothing else, the angular look is fresh and sharp, though to be honest, I’m digging the smooth curves the latest handsets are sporting. The real test of the new batch of BlackBerry devices will be how well the software runs. The BlackBerry Milan should be able to run Android apps by the time it hits the market, though RIM will still be locking access down to App World.
What do you guys think – could RIM make a comeback with a phone like this?
[via CB]