RIM offers first look at BlackBerry 6 OS

The chief executive of Research in Motion (RIM) has been showing off the new BlackBerry 6 operating system at a conference in Florida.

In a short preview film Mike Lazaridis showed off the system's capabilities, including multi-touch controls and better integration of social networking functions into the traditionally business-focused operating system.

BlackBerry 6 will be built around the Webkit browser already used by the iPhone and Android devices. Web widgets can be used with the handset, providing more opportunites for developers to customise applications.

The video has provoked speculation that RIM could bring out another buttonless smartphone, similar to the Storm range.

A virtual keyboard has been added into the system, but Lazaridis said in his presentation that RIM is still very much into producing handsets with hard keyboards.

The new operating system is expected in July.

Picture: BlackBerry Messenger 5.0