BlackBerry 10

LAS VEGAS--While all eyes are on the first two BlackBerry 10 devices Research In Motion will introduce later this month, RIM plans to eventually hit a range of price points at the high, middle and lower end of the market with its BB10 devices, according to a senior executive.

Research In Motion announced that it will take a tiered approach to charging for its BlackBerry services--such as mobile device management, security and other services that use its proprietary messaging network--when it launches its BlackBerry 10 platform early next year. The news spooked investors, who sent the company's shares down around 15 percent  on worries that the action will reduce RIM's "service" revenues, which account for roughly a third of the company's total revenues.

Research In Motion will report its last quarterly earnings before the launch of its BlackBerry 10 platform after the market closes today, and financial analysts will be looking for hints that it has momentum and enough cash on hand to not only get past the launch but make it a success.

WhatsApp has updated its cross-platform messaging application to run Microsoft's new Windows Phone 8 but says it does not plan to support Research In Motion's forthcoming BlackBerry 10.

Research In Motion started sending out test versions of its BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 software and pre-production BlackBerry 10 smartphones to a select group of 120 enterprise and government customers.

Research In Motion will formally kick off its comeback with the unveiling of BlackBerry 10 on Jan. 30, but if it does reclaim its former glory the company will likely owe much of it to Swedish design firm The Astonishing Tribe.