BlackBerry 10 unveiled, RIM now known as BlackBerry

The new BlackBerry 10 was unveiled Wednesday as the former smartphone industry leader moved to regain momentum with a revamped operating system and a pair of sleek new handsets.

The announcement by Research in Motion came in a global product launch in which it also said it had changed the name of the Canadian-based firm to BlackBerry.

"From this point forward RIM becomes BlackBerry," chief executive Thorsten Heins told a glitzy unveiling in New York, one of six global events for the product launch. "It is one brand, it is one promise."

The company unveiled two new devices for its new platform, one with a physical keyboard, and another with a touchscreen similar to that used on most other smartphones.

Heins said the new BlackBerry "will transform mobile communications into true mobile computing."