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BlackBerry 10 Roadmap For 2013 Includes BB10 Phablet

Alexandra Burlacu

With the BlackBerry Z10 out of the bag and the Q10 due soon, many are wondering what's next for the BlackBerry 10 (BB10) platform.

Various rumors are making rounds and pointing to updated tablets, QWERTY sliders, high-end flagship devices or low-end Curves, and now a new leak allegedly shows BlackBerry 10's roadmap for 2013.

The leaked image comes from a random Twitter account called BB10Leaks, so take it with a grain of salt. The image does not leave much room for interpretation, but it seems to include some potential code names and expected timelines. With the Z10 and Q10 smartphones already lined up, the focus is on the rest of the BB10 lineup.

The B10 L looks like a landscape device, perhaps a tablet. Considering previous rumors that Sprint may get a touchscreen device other than the BlackBerry Z10, this B10 L might just be it.

Looking at the U10 device, meanwhile, it appears to be more like a "phablet" rather than an average-sized device. Past rumors pointed towards a device dubbed "aristo," which allegedly sported a 4.65-inch display. Subsequent speculation later claimed that device was no longer in the cards, leaving room for something bigger. The U10 may be a phablet in the 5-inch or bigger display range.

Lastly, the leaked image also features a R10 device with a QWERTY keyboard, presumably a Curve-like handset. Past rumors about the "R-Series" and BlackBerry CEO Thorsten Heins' comments that a mid-range BB10 device would arrive this fiscal year suggest this R10 may come on the mid-range price spectrum.

Overall, most of what this leaked image reveals was already discussed or at least rumored. Heins already mentioned the tablet market several times, noting that BlackBerry doesn't want just another PlayBook. It's a tough, competitive tablet market, and the PlayBook proved of little relevancy.

All in all, this image seems to illustrate previous rumors and peg down a roadmap for 2013 BlackBerry 10 devices. It could be real, just as well as it could be fake. It doesn't show anything revolutionary or extremely exciting, but a phablet could help BlackBerry reach a wider audience, as consumers are increasingly shifting to larger displays. 

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