BlackBerry 10 Twitter & Google Talk Apps and Integration Leak

BlackBerry 10 will launch later this month on the BlackBerry 10Z, and thanks to a leak we know what the apps will likely look like and how they will integrate Google and Twitter with the BB Hub, BlackBerry 10’s unified inbox.

BlackBerry Reinvention, by way of PhoneArena shares screenshots from the BlackBerry 10 gold master which show that the Google Talk and Twitter apps may be available at launch, alongside some of the 15,000 BlackBerry 10 apps submitted to RIM already.

The screenshots show Google Talk and Twitter in the BB Hub. RIM hopes the BB Hub will offer users a one-stop-shop for important information and notifications. All of these notifications will be accessible with a swipe from the left of the screen. RIM plans to allow third-party app support for the HUB, including notification lights.

Adding in support for Google Talk and Twitter are an important step in delivering on this promise, and drawing users back to BlackBerry from the app-heavy iPhone and Android phones. The apps currently aren’t much to look at, but we may see more polish before the BlackBerry 10 launch on January 30th.

Delivering app integration in the BB Hub is just part of the struggle. Even though RIM reportedly has 15,000 apps on tap, it’s not clear what apps these are. RIM faces an uphill battle to bring BlackBerry back above WIndows Phone and to start competing with iPhone and Android for marketshare and consumer mindshare.

In late January RIM will show off more about BlackBerry 10 including the first BB 10 devices. We currently expect the touchscreen BlackBerry Z10 and we’ve seen leaks of the BlackBerry X10 with a physical keyboard.

The BlackBerry 10 software takes advantage of the touch screen, offering new gesture controls. We got a closer look at the BlackBerry 10 gestures in a meeting at CES 2013 last week.

BlackBerry 10 devices are confirmed for AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon in 2012, and RIM may launch as many as six BlackBerry 10 devices this year.