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* Research In Motion changes company's name to BlackBerry
* Company's hopes for a comeback ride on new BlackBerry 10
* BB10 smartphones loaded with new features, faster browser
* RIM shares tumble as U.S. launch date disappoints
* RIM stages launch parties in cities around the world
By Euan Rocha and Sinead Carew
NEW YORK, Jan 30 (Reuters) - Research In Motion Ltd on Wednesday unveiled the long-delayed line of smartphones ithopes will put it on the comeback trail, but it disappointedinvestors by saying U.S. sales of its all-new BlackBerry 10devices will not start until March, sending its share pricetumbling 12 percent.
Chief Executive Thorsten Heins also announced that RIM wasabandoning the name it has used since its inception in 1985 totake the name of its signature product, signaling his hopes fora fresh start for the company that pioneered on-your-hip email.
"From this point forward, RIM becomes BlackBerry," Heinssaid at the New York launch. "It is one brand; it is onepromise."
RIM, which is already starting to call itself BlackBerry,had initially planned to launch the new BlackBerry 10 devices ayear ago. But it pushed the release date back twice as itstruggled to perfect a new operating system.
Ahead of Wednesday's announcements, analysts had said thatany launch after February would be a black mark for theCanada-based company.
"The biggest disappointment was the delay in the U.S., thatit will take so long before the devices get going there," saidEric Jackson, founder and managing Partner at Ironfire CapitalLLC in New York.
Heins said the delays reflected the need for U.S. carriertesting, although carrier AT&T Inc offered few clues onwhat that meant. Instead, the carrier merely stated it wasenthusiastic about the devices and would announce availability,pricing and other information at a later date.
"Carriers in all other parts of the world get their devicesthrough the testing process significantly faster than the U.S.carriers do," said John Jackson, an analyst at IDC, adding thatthe U.S. process can often take "weeks" longer.
Nevertheless investors were extremely disappointed with thedelay and RIM shares on the Nasdaq ended the day 12percent lower at $13.78. Its Toronto-listed shares fell byalmost the same margin to close at C$13.86.
RIM launched its first BlackBerry back in 1999 as a way forbusy executives to stay in touch with their clients and theiroffices, and the company quickly cornered the market for securecorporate and government emails.
But its star faded as competition rose and the BlackBerry isnow a far-behind also-ran in the race for market share, with a3.4 percent global showing in the fourth quarter - down from 20percent three years before. Its North American market share iseven smaller - a mere 2 percent in the fourth quarter.
RIM shares have tumbled along with the company's marketshare and the stock is down 90 percent since its 2008 peak.Despite the pullback on Wednesday, RIM's share price has morethan doubled over the last four months, reflecting the growingbuzz about its new devices.
TOUCH COMPETITION
The new BlackBerry 10 phones will compete with Apple's iPhone and devices using Google's Androidtechnology, both of which have soared above the BlackBerry in acompetitive market.
The BlackBerry 10 devices boast fast browsers, new features,smart cameras and - unlike previous BlackBerry models - enterthe market primed with a large application library, includingservices such as Skype and the popular game Angry Birds.
The BlackBerry Z10 touchscreen device, in black or white,will be the first to hit the market, with a country-by-countryrollout that starts in Britain on Thursday.
A Q10 model, equipped with a small "qwerty" keyboard thatRIM made into its trademark, will launch globally in April.
"I'm still confident that a lot of the subscriber base aregoing to want the upgrade to BlackBerry 10. It's a very strongimprovement over what they currently have. This is not going tocause mass defections from iOS and Android, but it doesn't haveto be a success for RIM. You've got to start somewhere," saidJackson of Ironfire, which owns shares in RIM.
The Z10 device won a lukewarm review from The Wall StreetJournal's tech blogger Walt Mossberg, who complained of ashortage of apps.
On the other hand, David Pogue, who writes for The New YorkTimes, apologized for describing BlackBerry as doomed in thepast. The Z10 touchscreen device was "lovely, fast andefficient, bristling with fresh, useful ideas," he said.
While technology analysts conceded that RIM has done quite aremarkable job on many of the features of BlackBerry 10 and onthe array of its app selection for a new platform, many argue itwill be a very tough slog for RIM to regain its crown.
"I don't think that RIM will return to its glory days," saidCharles Golvin, analyst at Forrester Research. "Success for themlooks like staunching the bleeding and clawing back a percentageor point or two of market share."
Announcements about pricing so far have been in line withexpectations. U.S. carrier Verizon Wireless said thephone would cost $199 for a two-year contract, while Canada'sRogers Communications is quoting C$149 ($150) forcertain three-year plans.
GLITZY LAUNCH
RIM picked a range of venues for its global launch parties,including Dubai's $650-a-night Armani Hotel, which occupies sixfloors of the Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest tower.
The New York event took place in a sprawling basketballfacility on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, just north of theManhattan Bridge. The BlackBerry has been "Re-designed.Re-engineered. Re-invented," RIM said.
RIM, which is splurging on a Super Bowl ad to promote itsnew phones, also introduced Grammy-winning singer-songwriterAlicia Keys as its global creative director.
"I was in a long-term relationship with BlackBerry and thenI started to notice some new, kind of hotter, attractive, sexierphones at the gym, and I kind of broke up with you for somethingthat had a little more bling," Keys said at the New York launch.
"But I always missed the way you organized my life and theway you were there for me at my job, and so I started to havetwo phones - I was kind of playing the field. But then ... youadded a lot more features ... and now, we're exclusively datingagain, and I'm very happy," she said.
