RIM's Mike Lazaridis pins this summer for the release of OS 6.0

RIM will have plenty to do between now and the summer when they anticipate to launch BlackBerry OS 6.0; according to RIM co-chief Mike Lazaridis. RIM has been known for their staple of QWERTY devices that business professionals tend to gravitate towards to, but when touchscreens are becoming more prevalent, RIM is promising that OS 6.0 will offer an improved experience for touchscreen phones. It's not to say that they're going to strictly show the love for touchscreen phones, but they'll continue to support trackpad devices nonetheless. In addition, they'll be hard at work with their WebKit-based browser which will have an integral role in the development of the new platform – it's a good bet to invest some time into this as consumers are relying more on their handsets for web surfing. There are some bright spots for existing BlackBerry handset owners partly because some will have the option of upgrading to the revamped platform. Looking forward to its release, it wasn't made clear whether or not OS 6.0 will make its debut on a totally new handset or if it'll become available first as a software update to some existing phones. With spring quickly passing by already, summer will be here in no time at all – and all eyes will be on RIM to see if they are successful with OS 6.0.

source: Electronista