RIM is Betting Everything on This One Device

RIM's product portfolio is filled with many different devices, from the iconic Bold to the new Torch, from the tiny Pearl to the flip Style, from the failed Storm to the successful Curve. But more is alway's better. As  RIM's marketshare dwindles, its reputation erodes, and its balance sheet bleeds, the Waterloo company is betting the bank on a single smartphone.

According to a Boy Genius report, a device called the BlackBerry London is RIM's sole focus at this point. It's scrapped the Colt, which was for month's rumoured to be the company's first BlackBerry 10 device. It's even scrapped the Milan, which some say was simply going to be another BlackBerry 7 device anyway. 

Consider the London to be the iPhone of RIM—it's a consumer's only choice, and it's the company's absolutely best effort. It's expected to look roughly like a photo leaked a while ago by The Verge, which has drew both praise and criticism for its new design. The specs of London aren't known, but there's clearly no keyboard, which is a bold move considering the few remaining BlackBerry faithfuls tout the keyboard as one of the few remaining reasons to choose a RIM device over Android or iOS.

It's also unclear when the device is to be released. For RIM, it's simply the sooner, the better.

Photo: BGR, The Verge