BlackBerry London Specs, Image, Release Date Leaked: First Ever BBX Smartphone to Launch in Q3 2012

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RIM is making a big move by switching to a new mobile platform by next year. Among its first smartphones running the BBX platform is a leaked BlackBerry “London,” which is reportedly going to launch in June 2012.

The Verge has posted specs and photos of what could be the first-ever smartphone in RIM’s new generation of  BlackBerry devices. The smartphone dubbed “London” is reported to have a June 2012 release, or possibly late in Q3 2012. The BlackBerry London will sport a dual-core Texas Instruments OMAP processor running at 1.5 GHz, will have 1 GB RAM, and 16 GB of onboard storage. The London will also have an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera and a 2-megapixel front-facing camera for videoconferencing.

As for design, RIM doesn’t skimp on being bold with the BlackBerry London. The smartphone is reportedly thinner than the iPhone 4, and about the same screen size as a Galaxy S II. Sources say the phone is boxy enough at the sides to have it stand on its own on a flat surface. The design is likewise reminiscent of BlackBerry’s Porsche-designed P9981.

Based on the leaked image, the BlackBerry London runs a variant of the PlayBook operating syste, although with some changes.  RIM is reportedly holding off on releasing BBX-based devices for now, given problems with getting BlackBerry Messaging and BlackBerry Enterprise Server to work well on BBX devices.

Aside from the BlackBerry London, RIM also has lower-end devices in the works, such as the upgrade to the Torch, which is a thin device with a 3.7-inch screen and slide-out keyboard. RIM has reportedly scrapped the earlier-rumored BlackBerry Colt in favor of the London.

Will the BBX platform save RIM from its difficulties in the market? RIM’s market share is already falling amid the popularity of competing platforms, like Android and iOS, and this isn’t helped by the severe, worldwide BlackBerry outages in October and intermittent service slowdowns since then. The BlackBerry London looks like a solid, well-designed device, but since ecosystem is more important these days, will BBX prove to be a capable platform in competing against Android and iPhone?