Summary Box: RIM unveils prototype

The Associated Press

RIM'S FUTURE: Research In Motion's new chief executive unveiled a newly designed BlackBerry smartphone prototype powered by a re-imagined operating system — the very software the company has pinned its future on.

ABOUT THE SYSTEM: The prototype BlackBerry has a touchscreen, but no physical keyboard like most BlackBerry models. One of the new features is a modified touchscreen keypad that will allow users to select full words with a single keystroke.

THE STRUGGLES: The once-iconic company has had difficulty competing with flashier, consumer-oriented phones such as Apple's iPhone and models that run Google's Android software.