BlackBerry 10 finally launches; can it save the brand?

In a move that's designed to safeguard RIM for the next decade, BB10 has been unveiled.

Although the Canadian firm is still relatively cash-rich, the 'brand new platform' is seen by many as the last roll of the dice for RIM, so a re-tooled OS is seen as ultra-necessary.

The main feature of the operating system is 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 Z10 will be available from 31 January from the likes of Vodafone and The Carphone Warehouse.