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BlackBerry plans for 2012 revealed, including new PlayBook

Research in Motion's BlackBerry plans for 2012 include a slew of new phones, new BlackBerry 10 software, and a new PlayBook tablet.

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Richard Trenholm Former Movie and TV Senior Editor
Richard Trenholm was CNET's film and TV editor, covering the big screen, small screen and streaming. A member of the Film Critic's Circle, he's covered technology and culture from London's tech scene to Europe's refugee camps to the Sundance film festival.
Expertise Films, TV, Movies, Television, Technology
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Richard Trenholm
2 min read
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BlackBerry is back in action, with new phones, software and tablets planned for 2012. With a new boss in place, will BlackBerry manufacturer Research in Motion follow our advice and reverse its disastrous 2011?

Boy Genius Report reckons it's cracked RIM's plans for the year, known as a roadmap by people who love giving things stupid made-up marketing names and are idiots. The plan includes a slew of new phones, new BlackBerry 10 software, and a new PlayBook tablet.

First off we're set to see two new Curve smart phones in the next few months, led by the BlackBerry Curve 9320. The Curve 9230 is reported to be an Edge phone, which suggests it's aimed at parts of the world where they don't have 3G, let alone 4G.

They'll be followed by the BlackBerry London in September.

A sequel to the disappointing PlayBook is on the cards, too. It's rumoured to pack a 1.5GHz processor and NFC, and will connect to the web via HSPA+, which is like souped-up 3G for browsing on the go. It's expected in May or June, but could it be the rumoured 10-inch PlayBook?

But the main event is the arrival of smart phones using the delayed next generation of BlackBerry software. BlackBerry 10 is expected to drag the BlackBerry experience back into the running with Apple, Android and Windows Phone, and it can't come soon enough.

The first phone is expected in December, and despite hopes that it will be a breath of fresh air it's likely to sport the traditional BlackBerry physical Qwerty keyboard -- keeps the die-hard business users happy, we suppose, but at the risk of alienating new customers. A slider could follow in 2013.

Will any of these proposed new phones and tablets get BlackBerry back in the black? Tell us in the comments or on our Facebook page what you think RIM must do -- and really mustn't do -- if it wants to have a better 2012.