RIM announces BlackBerry 7 OS with better browser and BlackBerry Balance, but no legacy support
The BB OS 6.1 update that grew too big for its name has just been made official by RIM as BlackBerry 7. Its ambassador into the wide world of smartphones will be the newly minted BlackBerry Bold Touch …
Context & Ripple Effects
RIM's browser problem has been years in the making: OS 5 was pitched in 2009 around tabbed browsing, and the company spent 2010 demoing BlackBerry 6 before shipping it, yet the web experience remained the brand's weakest flank against iOS and Android. BlackBerry 7, announced today at what began life as the OS 6.1 update, is the answer — a faster browser plus BlackBerry Balance, which walls off work data from personal use on one handset.
The catch is the cutoff: BB7 drops support for legacy devices entirely, so the upgrade arrives only on new hardware, starting with the Bold Touch (9900/9930) shown alongside it. That continues the lineage of the original Bold's 2008 bid to take on the 3G iPhone, but this time the flagship leap strands rather than carries the existing fleet.
First-order effects
- Owners of current BlackBerry handsets cannot move to BlackBerry 7 — the installed base is frozen on OS 5/6 unless they buy new hardware like the Bold Touch.
- Enterprise IT departments evaluating BlackBerry Balance get work/personal separation natively, but only by committing to the new device generation.
Second-order effects
- Carriers and corporate buyers face compressed refresh cycles: BES-managed fleets that stay on legacy devices diverge from the new OS track, forcing a choice between holding back on features or re-equipping.
- App developers must now maintain two code paths — BB7's updated browser and APIs versus the still-dominant legacy base — raising development cost across the platform.
Third-order effects
- If every OS release is tied to new silicon while old devices stay put, BlackBerry's user base splits into a shrinking upgradable core and a growing stranded tail — a structural drag on developer interest and carrier promotions.
- BlackBerry Balance points toward dual-persona device management becoming table stakes in enterprise mobility, pushing IT buyers to weigh OS choice against management capability rather than hardware alone.
The trend: RIM is decoupling its OS roadmap from its legacy installed base, betting that enterprise-grade separation of work and personal data can justify forced hardware upgrades.