Last week during BlackBerry World, the company unveiled Blackberry 10 - its latest operating system - and an alpha developer unit. Shortly after handing out developer units, codenames of future devices surfaced.

The news came from BlackBerry site N4BB, and a developer called "J. Duke" from OSBB. Nine names were leaked in total, such as "Nevada" and "London", while LTE, HSPA+ and LTE HSPA+ versions of the "Winchester" device leaked.

The names are viewed by typing file:///radio/etc/sv.numbers in the browser on an alpha developer device. The codename "Colt" is the codename of the developer alpha, while "Blackforest" is reported to be the 10-inch Playbook.

It's not known whether these are smartphones specifically, or devices that will run BlackBerry 10 OS. The first range of BlackBerry 10 devices are expected to launch by the end of 2012.

Developer devices won't upgrade to the full version of BlackBerry 10, instead receiving a "limited edition" BlackBerry 10 devices as long as developers create an app for the new OS. The developer device will receive updates as RIM introduces more features.

RIM also said developers are guaranteed to make $10,000 from apps in the first year of the operating system. RIM will pay out the difference if developers don't make $10,000, though developers can't release a useless app and receive the money: qualifying apps will be certified by a third party and have to make at least $1,000.

RIM's new OS is reminiscent of the Nokia N9, with gestures allowing users to switch between apps, notifications and documents. By extension, a physical keyboard was gone and replaced with a touch keyboard that brings technology to SwiftKey for Android that allows users to swipe suggested words rather than typing it out.

The camera also allowed users to go back frame by frame after taking a photo, for moments such as when someone blinks. Rim CEO Thorsten Hains said on May 1, when BlackBerry 10 was revealed, to expect an "exciting device" in 2012 and confirmed BB10 has been in development for a year and a half.

(reported by Jonathan Charles, edited by Dave Clark)