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RIM shows off BlackBerry Bold, Curve, Pearl running OS 6

BlackBerry-maker RIM demos several smartphones running on OS 6 at the BlackBerry Developer Conference in San Francisco.

Jessica Dolcourt Senior Director, Commerce & Content Operations
Jessica Dolcourt is a passionate content strategist and veteran leader of CNET coverage. As Senior Director of Commerce & Content Operations, she leads a number of teams, including Commerce, How-To and Performance Optimization. Her CNET career began in 2006, testing desktop and mobile software for Download.com and CNET, including the first iPhone and Android apps and operating systems. She continued to review, report on and write a wide range of commentary and analysis on all things phones, with an emphasis on iPhone and Samsung. Jessica was one of the first people in the world to test, review and report on foldable phones and 5G wireless speeds. Jessica began leading CNET's How-To section for tips and FAQs in 2019, guiding coverage of topics ranging from personal finance to phones and home. She holds an MA with Distinction from the University of Warwick (UK).
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BlackBerry Pearl running OS 6
RIM shows off a number of phones running OS 6, including the BlackBerry Pearl 3G. Jessica Dolcourt/CNET

The BlackBerry Torch may be the only of RIM's smartphones on the market to currently run the new OS 6 operating system, but that's not stopping the company from showcasing several handsets running OS 6 at the Developer Conference in San Francisco this week.

We took a look at OS 6 powering the BlackBerry Bold 9700 and 9650, the Curve 3G, and Pearl 3G. It's no coincidence that these are the same models that carriers like Sprint and Verizon are snapping up; RIM would never let conference goers and the press anywhere near top-secret handsets. Even so, it was nice picking up the phones and taking the operating system for a spin on devices other than the Torch on which OS 6 debuted.

OS 6 was fully operational and looked good, even on the BlackBerry Pearl 3G, with its much smaller design. Universal search continues to be a shining star of the OS feature set, and the trackpad made for smooth navigation.

Notably absent were demo units of the Storm and Storm II, which frankly doesn't surprise us since we haven't heard news of whether an upgrade is in the works.

A release timeline for these demo devices isn't in the cards at DevCon, just the display handsets themselves. It's common practice for handset manufacturers to defer to carriers in announcing availability. The upgrades first need to go through carrier certification, and our booth manager did mention that both RIM and the carriers had some work to do before the upgrades are ready to ship.

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