BlackBerry is really not doing so hot, with losses and layoffs in its future, but the latest leak holds that its next scrabbling handhold on the ever-receding cliff face of profitability is a new budget line called the BlackBerry C-series.

The BlackBerry C (code name: "Americano") is said to combine the best existing BlackBerry 10 devices like the Z- and Q-series phones: sleek design with budget specs, respectively.

That will keep the BlackBerry C series looking fresh to consumers while appealing with a lower price point than the high-end Z-series, like the just-announced BlackBerry Z30; or at least, that's reportedly the idea.

If it's true, the Americano will be mucking about in the just-released iPhone 5C's neck of the sea, which may not be the best place to tread water right now.

The leaks keep flowing

News broke today that BlackBerry has agreed to an initial offer that could see it bought and taken private again by a financial holdings company called Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited.

But that hasn't stopped leaks of its alleged smartphone plans.

As far as specific specs we've got little to go on where the BlackBerry C is concerned, besides the promise of specs similar to what the chunky, QWERTY-equipped, budget-priced BlackBerry Q5 offers.

Besides that the only morsel is that the initial BlackBerry C-series device will reportedly have a full-sized 4.2-inch 720 x 1280 touchscreen, no QWERTY, and 4G LTE compatibility.

The phone is said to be in testing stages currently.

Inevitable comparisons

Word of the BlackBerry C-series fits perfectly with the company's recent admission that it will back off from the consumer market soon and release just four new phones in the future, instead of the previously planned six.

Of those four unannounced devices, two are high-end offerings and two are entry-level phones, like what the BlackBerry C is being described as.

Comparisons with the iPhone 5C will be inevitable (imagine if they call it the BB C5?), but the "budget" iPhone has reportedly done pretty well for itself since its launch alongside the iPhone 5S this past weekend.

Combined sales for both new iPhones hit 9 million in just three days, though Apple isn't detailing the exact split and TechRadar's digging indicates tentatively that the higher-end iPhone 5S is in fact in greater demand.

• BlackBerry could really be sold - the company actually found a suitor and agreed to an initial offer that would take it private.

BlackBerry is becoming a private company again after signing a letter of intent agreement to be bought out by a group led by Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited, it was announced today.

The deal is worth approximately $4.7 billion (about £2.93b, AU$4.98b) at $9 per share (about £6, AU$10) in cash for all of the shares that Fairfax doesn't already own.

"We believe this transaction will open an exciting new private chapter for BlackBerry, its customers, carriers and employees," said Fairfax Chairman and CEO Prem Watsa.

He said BlackBerry would continue "a long-term strategy in a private company with a focus on delivering superior and secure enterprise solutions to BlackBerry customers around the world."

Where to go from here?

BlackBerry has certainly had a violate month.

• Read the 11 moments that defined BlackBerry's rise and fall

Apple has announced that its latest iPhone launch is the most popular yet, with 9 million new iPhones sold in just three days.

According to Apple, the launch of the iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C was a record breaker for the company and downloads of iOS 7 have been impressive too, clocking in at 200 million.

To compare, the iPhone 5 in the same time span last year managed a mere 5 million sales.

Speaking about the popularity of the new iPhones, Tim Cook said: "This is our best iPhone launch yet - more than nine million new iPhones sold - a new record for first weekend sales.

"The demand for the new iPhones has been incredible, and while we've sold out of our initial supply of iPhone 5S, stores continue to receive new iPhone shipments regularly. We appreciate everyone's patience and are working hard to build enough new iPhones for everyone."

Touchy subject

While Apple hasn't announced what the split is between iPhone 5S and 5C sales, asking around the networks in the UK, TechRadar found that the demand for the iPhone 5C wasn't anywhere near as strong as for the more powerful and somewhat less colourful iPhone 5S.

News of a successful iPhone launch for Apple couldn't have come at a better time. The company is currently battling a spot of negativity over its Touch ID technology which is said to have been infiltrated by hackers - although the outrage may be getting just a little over the top.

That said, it seems other manufacturers are still getting involved with biometrics on their phones, and it hasn't stopped Apple topping the sales charts worldwide.

After unveiling its new animation-friendly cases last week, LG has now given the Vu 3 the official nod with its 4:3 stylings set for release by 27 September.

Not in the UK, US or Australia, mind you - the Vu 3 seems set for a limited release with the company focusing its efforts on its home turf.

So we'll be missing out on the 5.2-inch screen with a 4:3 "textbook" style aspect ratio, which LG describes as "monolithic", with a stylus coming as standard.

Textbook

There's a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 on board, with LTE 4G connectivity and a 13MP camera rounding out the specs.

We've already seen the see-through QuickView smart cases that display animated notifications when the phone is encased within.

LG's not letting much more slip in its announcement release, however, so we're in the dark as to what version of Android it launches with and other details.

• We were underwhelmed by the LG Vu 2; will the new generation fare any better?

With the weekend only just winding up across the globe, the iPhone 5S with Apple's new Touch ID fingerprint reader has been available for only a couple of days since its release last Friday.

Which is apparently all the time that was needed for German group Chaos Computer Club (CCC) to hack the new iPhone's fingerprint reader.

"A fingerprint of the phone user, photographed from a glass surface, was enough to create a fake finger that could unlock an iPhone 5s secured with Touch ID," the group wrote in a blog post on September 21 at 10pm.

The post then suggests that the hack, discovered by CCC member Starbug, can be done using household materials.

The method

Described in just a paragraph on CCC's blog, the first step is photographing the enrolled users fingerprint in 2,400 dpi resolution.

The image then needs to inverted and laser printed on to a transparent sheet in 1,200 dpi resolution and thick toner setting. This is apparently where the difficult part ends.

Latex milk or white wood-glue can be used to create a mould by spreading it onto the transparent sheet and letting it dry. Then you breathe on the mould for moisture and place it on the sensor to unlock the phone.

Here's a video of the latex in action:

Fingerprint caution

Although you'll still need to have a good quality photo of the fingerprint first to be able to use CCC's method, there are those that argue that while passcodes can be kept secret or changed, fingerprints are public and cannot be changed.

"We hope that this finally puts to rest the illusions people have about fingerprint biometrics," said CCC spokesperson Frank Rieger.

"It is plain stupid to use something that you can´t change and that you leave everywhere every day as a security token," he added.

Of course, the counter argument is that passcodes can be hacked as well or someone can simply look over your shoulder, and Apple has spoken about Touch ID security concerns, saying it has everything under control.

Also, a Control Centre bug was revealed last week on the newly released iOS 7, which could leave open the iPhone 5S despite the fingerprint scanner, though Apple is working on a fix.

• Here's our review of the iPhone 5S, including what we think of the Touch ID.