As reported by Electronista.com, Research In Motion has begun carrier testing devices running its forthcoming BlackBerry 10 operating system, the company announced today. The Canadian manufacturer said the new OS had achieved lab entry with more than 50 carriers, and RIM still expects to launch devices running the OS in the first quarter of next year.

RIM's forthcoming BlackBerry 10 devices are thought to include at least one touchscreen device and another touch-enabled handset with a hardware QWERTY keyboard.

The company is also rumored to be working on an as yet unannounced device codenamed Aristo. Aristo -- Greek for "the best" -- is thought to feature a 4.65-inch screen outputting at 1280x720, as well as beefed-up internals bringing it to par with higher-end offerings from Apple, Samsung, and other manufacturers.

RIM's fortunes have declined in recent years as Android and iOS-powered devices have grabbed much of the market share in the smartphone sector that the Canadian company used to hold. Recently, the Pentagon opened its network to iOS and Android devices, dealing yet another blow to RIM. The launch of BlackBerry 10 is viewed by many observers as a critical step in the company regaining its footing and clawing back some market share. [IS]