First photos of new BlackBerry revealed - PHOTOS

Christmas has come early for those hoping to get a good look at the latest BlackBerry, as new images fresh off the rumor mill are believed to show the latest mobile device.

If genuine, the photos give a close-up look at a previously unseen model complete with BlackBerry's classic keyboard design.

The images show a straight keyboard similar to the one seen on the Torch model.

Other specifications of the handset are not yet known.

Manufacturer Research in Motion is still more than a month away from unveiling the next generation of the BlackBerry.

The photos were first revealed by CrackBerry.com, via Chinese site CNBeta.

The site reports that the latest image shows the BlackBerry 10 N-Series, which is rumored to debut with a touchscreen L-Series phone next month.

What still remains a mystery is the device's operating system, which cannot be seen because the phone is turned off in all the leaked image.

A purported photo of the L-Series phone was revealed earlier this month by a Vietnamese tech site.

The photo showed a gadget that's sleek, shiny and futuristic - and that looks suspiciously like an iPhone.

Those images suggested that Research in Motion (RIM) was finally giving up the full keyboard that was the brand's virtual trademark in favor of a full touchscreen device to compete with Apple and Google devices.

But unlike the iPhone, the new BlackBerry has no home button adorning its front. It is expected that the software will allow users to switch between apps without having to go via a home screen.

Pictures of the side of the device shows it boasts not only a micro-USB connector, but also a slot for a micro-HDMI cable, which could enable it to connect to high resolution external displays.

Expert Reviews says this suggests that RIM could be planning to bundle the phone with film rental services, which Apple and Google already do with their operating systems.

Other shots of the phone revealed that it is textured for grip, and, unlike some new smartphones like Motorola's latest Android-based Razr, it has a removable cover.

A peek inside the phone shows slots for a micro-SIM and microSD memory card, along with a removable 1,800mAh battery.

The touch screen images were first leaked by Vietnamese site Tinhte.vn, which said the phone feels 'very comfortable' to hold, but refuses to go into details of how they got a hold of the device.

The next generation of BlackBerry devices is likely to be a 'make it or break it' moment for RIM, which has gone from being the executive smartphone of choice to an also ran in the mobile market.

Last month one analyst warned investors to ditch their shares in the Canadian firm, predicting that the BlackBerry 10 OS will be 'dead on arrival' when it finally launches in 2013.

Bloomberg quoted James Faucette of Pacific Crest Securities as telling investors: 'We expect the new OS to be met with a lukewarm response at best and ultimately likely to fail.'

The company has said it will release its next generation of smartphones on January 30.


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