Last month, BGR exclusively reported preliminary details surrounding an upcoming smartphone from Research In Motion codenamed the BlackBerry Monaco. Due for launch from Verizon Wireless in September of this year according to our report, the Monaco could be the third installment in RIM’s Storm series. Now, the Monaco has been caught on film for the first time. As expected, the front of the device appears to be similar in design to the BlackBerry Torch, minus the physical QWERTY keypad, of course. Like the Torch, the Monaco includes RIM’s optical trackpad beneath its touchscreen display, which is something seen as a bit peculiar for the Monaco’s full touchscreen form factor. This is the result of RIM’s continued efforts to turn the aging BlackBerry OS into a touchscreen-friendly platform. Results at this point have received mixed reviews, but the company will eventually shift BlackBerry smartphones to its new QNX platform — which will debut on the BlackBerry PlayBook next — as it was designed with touchscreens in mind. Until then, this is likely the best BlackBerry fans can hope for. Hit the jump for the video and see our original exclusive report for full specs on the upcoming BlackBerry Monaco, which include a 1.2GHz processor and NFC compatibility.
