Over the past few weeks there has been some rumblings about BlackBerry 10.3 and the changes BlackBerry is looking to implement in that OS. Rumor has it, it won't bring any drastic changes to the mix but rather some subtle UI refinements such as a slightly flatter look, improved iconography and a little bit more polish than what we've seen thus far.

As it turns out, those rumors could be spot on if the images we're seeing above are indeed accurate. They're purportedly from an early version of BlackBerry 10.3 and offer a small look at what could be. So, what is it that we're looking here by way of changes? Well, ZonaBB has laid them out nicely and here's what they found to of have been improved or otherwise changed.

Homescreen - The box around the icons is now gone, may or may not be a final decision.

Intelligent Assistant - It seems BlackBerry is not to be left behind and an intelligent assistant is implemented in this version seems to not work properly.

New keyboard layout and colors - Slightly changes the design a more minimalist style and color scheme of the operating system is now, Black with Red, Black and red.

Advanced Interaction Features are implemented to turn off the screen when the device is upside down or inside pocket to save battery.

Features of the camera - A timer for taking photographs is added, Taking panoramic photos (works correctly) is implemented, The option to record in 720p at 30 fps and 60 is added, HDR takes is suggested when conditions require.

Smart Search.

Design changes in the Music Player - Emphasis to focus button makes the player and part of them is hidden the scroll.

Design change in controls and buttons - The controls and buttons worked and acquire a more gentle view looking design for a minimalist style.

The reaction rate is significantly improved - The system minimizes and maximizes application almost instantly giving a more pleasant browsing experience.

Overall, there's certainly some improvements there and I'm liking some of the new design elements. Some of it we mentioned in our Top 25 improvements for BlackBerry 10 to which Michael Clewley assured us were already underway.

In any case, it's noted this release is still very early and assuming they're even legit, things can and do change often. Previous builds of 10.2 and 10.2.1 had camera refinements in them but upon release, they were nowhere to be found. Maybe this time around we'll see them but then again, maybe not. What do you all think?

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