BlackBerry to announce lower-priced phone during annual conference?

BlackBerry-maker Research in Motion's (RIM) CEO Thorsten Heins will deliver a keynote speech at the company's annual three-day conference in Orlando, starting Tuesday, amid speculations that a lower-priced phone from the company may be announced.

RIM unveiled the new, versatile BlackBerrys - Z10 and Q10 - earlier this year after delays allowed Apple and others to dominate the smartphone market.

RIM faced numerous delays modernising its operating system. During that time, it had to cut more than 5,000 jobs and saw shareholder wealth decline by more than $70 billion.

The BlackBerry, pioneered in 1999, had been the dominant smartphone for on-the-go business people and consumers before Apple's iPhone debuted in 2007 and showed that phones can handle much more than email and calls.