RIM Hands BlackBerry 10 OS Prototype Phone To Devs

RIM has sent developers a BlackBerry 10 Dev Alpha device for them to test BlackBerry OS 10 applications on.

The beleaguered smartphone manufacturer has also released a number of development tools for the platform, including the first release of the BlackBerry 10 Native SDK.

The prototype

The prototype device, which was confirmed by RIM in March, has a 4.2-inch screen which supports a resolution of 1280 x 768, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity and a micro HDMI port. RIM was keen to stress the smartphone was strictly a prototype and does not run the final BlackBerry 10 software.

“It’s important to get this prototype into the hands of our partners now so that you can help us deliver the type of high-quality content that will make BlackBerry 10 so special,” said BlackBerry in a blog post. “With the BlackBerry 10 Dev Alpha, you can test your apps on real hardware to work out interface, ergonomic and usability issues. This device is also a show of our commitment to helping developers build engaging apps for BlackBerry 10. Developers have told us they wanted hardware to test on before the platform launches and we are delivering.”

The BlackBerry 10 Native SDK includes a number of new APIs, which RIM says will allow developers to create high-performance native applications. These include social gaming service Scoreloop, push management APIs, payment APIs as well as battery monitoring and LED control, so that apps can react to low battery levels. A limited beta release of the BlackBerry plug-in for Microsoft Visual Studio has also been made available to make it easier for developers to adapt their games to the new platform.

High hopes

BlackBerry 10 Webworks has also been launched and will allow web application developers to create apps using familiar languages such as HTML5, CSS and Javascript before integrating them further into the software.

“Developers can use this first beta of the tools to get started building apps for BlackBerry 10 and as the tools evolve over the coming months, developers will have access to a rich API set that will allow them to build even more integrated apps,” commented Christopher Smith, vice president of handheld application platform and tools at RIM. “The toolkit we are delivering today also meets developers on their own terms. Whether using the powerful Cascades framework, writing direct native code or developing in HTML5, BlackBerry 10 will empower developers to create attractive and compelling apps that excite customers.”

RIM has high hopes for BlackBerry 10 handsets and has been courting developers to make applications for the platform. The OS has suffered a troubled life so far, with reports indicating that the first smartphones running the software won’t be released until late 2012. RIM was even forbidden from calling it by its original name, BBX, reverting to its current moniker following legal action.

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