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BlackBerry 'Colt' rumored to be RIM's first QNX phone, targeted for Q1 2012

BlackBerry 'Colt' rumored to be RIM's first QNX phone, targeted for Q1 2012

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For RIM, the QNX operating system remains exclusive to the PlayBook, and the recent introduction of BlackBerry 7 -- along with a handful of new phones running it -- suggests that QNX-powered handsets are still a little while off yet. Indeed, a new rumor over on BGR today pegs a device codenamed "Colt" as the first with QNX... and it's not expected until the first quarter of 2012. Little is known on what Colt has to offer, but interestingly, it's said that testing is currently occurring on single-core prototypes -- RIM co-boss Mike Lazaridis had made a really big deal about the fact that we'd have to wait for multi-core to go mainstream before seeing QNX on phones (it's possible that they're just waiting for multi-core prototypes to become available for testing, but that's unclear).

And here's the kicker: RIM's said to be having an "extremely difficult" time getting BES working with QNX. They're working on it, but BGR claims that the current plan is to provide Microsoft Exchange support initially through ActiveSync instead. That's pretty wild considering that BES is one of RIM's headline selling points -- I'd personally think that they'd rather hold off on the Colt until getting those ducks in a row -- but this is how the rumor stands at the moment. And maybe most importantly, there's no word on the Colt's physical design; BGR's showing a mocked-up Bold 9900 with QNX, though, which would certainly be in RIM's wheelhouse.

Source: BGR