The new BlackBerry 10, which debuts on Jan. 30, 2013 is RIM’s  last attempt at remaining relevant in a smartphone market dominated by Android and iPhone. The company, who once dominated the market with its email and messaging platform looks to establish itself now as a secondary, viable alternative to iPhone and Android devices.

A prototype of the touch screen version of the BlackBerry 10 was demonstrated late Wednesday at the USA TODAY bureau and resembled the iPhone in shape although the aesthetics of the final version is yet to be confirmed. It will come in two versions: a hard keyboard and a touch screen with a 4.2 inch display that boasts a 12-24 hour battery life.

There are some cool new features to look forward to, such as a more intuitive auto correct, an 8 megapixel that reports comparable images in poor lighting conditions much like Iphone 5 or Nokia Lumia 920s, a brand new voice control application – RIM’s answer to Siri and basically a host of virtual tools that strike a “balance” between your work and personal stuff.

Keep in mind that anyone who’s been able to get their hands on one of these can only comment on the demo version which is likely to be missing the full spectrum of the final product, something that RIM would most likely want to keep under wraps until the launch date. Shares seem to be in agreement that RIM may have a legitimate winner on their hands with stocks now trading at around $12 which is up nearly 80% since late September. Looks like the embattled RIM still has some life left in it…however if it fails to sell as expected… it could be R.I.P for RIM.

Check out some new features of the Blackberry 10: