RIM launching finalized BlackBerry 10 SDK on Dec. 11

Research In Motion (NASDAQ:RIMM) will release the final version of its BlackBerry 10 software development kit on Dec. 11, two months before the first devices running the revamped mobile operating system are expected to reach retailers.

"When the Gold SDK is released on December 11th, you can complete your final testing and tweaking and submit your app knowing it will run on the commercial release of BlackBerry 10 smartphone OS," wroted RIM Manager of Applications Platform Marketing Lou Gazzola on the BlackBerry Developer Blog. "We will release a beta update on Nov. 29th that includes bug fixes, but also an important update for Web developers as our BlackBerry WebWorks HTML5 tools will be updated to offer more functionality and to draw closer to parity with our Native tools. We encourage developers to get their apps ready using this beta SDK release."

RIM began accepting applications optimized for BlackBerry 10 last month. Alex Kinsella, the company's senior public relations and social media manager, vowed all apps submitted to RIM's BlackBerry App World "are guaranteed to be reviewed, tested and ready for publishing when BlackBerry 10 launches in Q1 2013," adding that all submissions received prior to Dec. 1 will be reviewed for preferred carousel placement within the digital storefront.

BlackBerry 10 runs on the same QNX-based software powering RIM's BlackBerry PlayBook tablet. Features include the new BlackBerry Flow user interface highlighted by BlackBerry Hub, which enables simplified access to all messages, notifications, feeds and calendar events. BlackBerry 10 also boasts BlackBerry Balance, which separates personal applications and information from encrypted work profiles, enabling organizations to protect their data while giving users the flexibility to optimize their devices for personal use.

RIM first announced BlackBerry 10 last spring. Devices running the new OS were expected in time for the lucrative holiday shopping season, but in late June, RIM put the launch on hold. The device maker confirmed this week it will formally unveil BlackBerry 10 on Jan. 30; RIM CEO Thorstein Heins told The New York Times the first BB10 smartphones will arrive sometime in February. RIM notes that more than 50 operator partners are currently lab testing the new platform--in addition, BlackBerry 10 recently earned IPS 140-2 certification, which means that government agencies will be able to deploy devices running the OS as soon as it is available. This is the first time BlackBerry products have been certified ahead of launch. 

RIM is betting on BlackBerry 10 to reignite developer passion for its platform. According to a recent survey conducted by Appcelerator and research firm IDC, just 9 percent of respondents said they are very interested in writing BlackBerry apps, an all-time low. Forty percent of developers expressed strong interest in BlackBerry as recently as the first quarter of 2011, underlining the operating system's fall from grace. In comparison, 85 percent of respondents are very interested in building apps for Apple's (NASDAQ:AAPL) iPhone, and 83 percent express comparable enthusiasm for creating apps optimized for the iPad tablet.

For more:
- read this BlackBerry Developer Blog entry

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