BlackBerry 10 Devices Delayed Until Late 2012, RIM 3Q Earnings Plummet

While announcing less than impressive earnings for its most recent quarter, RIM revealed that it will not release smartphones running its next-generation BlackBerry 10 operarting system until late next year.

Canada-based Research In Motion previously suggested that these devices -- necessary for the company to become more competetive in the cut-throat phone market -- would hit the market in the first half of 2012. RIM cited a need to wait for a certain dual-core processor to become available as the reason for delay.

The company is currently transitioning from BlackBerry 7 to BlackBerry 10, a platform RIM boasted as being able to run on smartphones and tablets alike. A further delay of this next generation system could prove disastrous to RIM, which has already lost most of its stake in the smartphone market to Android and iOS. 

Furthermore, RIM’s net income dropped to $265 million compared with $911 million in the same quarter last year. The third quarter, which ended on Nov. 26, displayed further declines of RIM’s earnings, with its revenue decreasing to $5.2 billion from $5.5 billion a year ago.