New BlackBerry 10 OS looks to be iOS, Android and Windows Phone mashup

Going by new images that recently emerged of the BlackBerry 10 OS, RIM seems to be drawing design inspiration from all three major competing operating systems.

The images come via a 14 page leaked document from one of RIM’s external ad agency partners and outlines some upcoming BlackBerry 10 features and advertising campaign ideas.

The images show what appears to be BlackBerry 10 running on the Torch 9860 and 9810. Despite being showcased on two OS 7 devices, the BlackBerry 10 OS is widely rumoured to be accompanied by new hardware, so don’t get your hopes up about an upgrade path from OS 7 devices just yet. As for the images, they speak volumes about the influence the major mobile OSes are having on the Blackberry 10 design. Prepare for awesomeness.

Windows Phone awkwardness

Peer at the first homescreen and the Windows Phone Live Tiles instantly spring to mind. The large images, dynamic tiles and the search/call icons paint the image of a phone living in two worlds: RIM’s fairy-tale of a bleeding edge environment, and Windows Phone’s user-friendly OS. How the tiles (RIM calls them “widgets”) will animate, if they will be customisable and if they can be resized remains to be seen.

iOS for the win

Take a slow step backwards and regain your composure. While the look of the second homescreen screams “Apple!” the icons have a secret function: dynamic properties. While iOS users are content with static icons, BlackBerry 10 offers icons which fluctuate depending on its actionable state. If there is a phone call, the phone icon may vibrate. If there is an email, the icon could open and close. It’s a stellar concept, and it’s surprising that BlackBerry was able to have the foresight to innovate its new operating system with such a novel interface option.

Android-loving inbox

The universal inbox captured here resembles that of the Android OS, and the tiles on first homescreen could easily be mistaken for Android widgets.

The final image shows off the distinctly Windows Phone-like calling feature. An image with an option for adding a call, video chat and note taking rounds off voice call options. It’s safe to say that the video call image on the phone screen indicates that face-to-face calls will be an option on BlackBerry 10 OS. The range of phones rocking the new OS is scheduled for release later this year.

Images care of CrackBerry.com