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BlackBerry bringing Channels and Voice Chat to BBM for Android and iOS next year
Remember how excited you were for BBM to hit Android and iOS and then BlackBerry continued to fake us all out with imminent releases? Thankfully, that's now all in the past and BBM is a reality for those of us not on BB10 devices, but still its feature set leaves something to be desired. The good news is that BlackBerry intends to flesh out BBM in 2014, though not just for the app. So what's up ahead? Arguably, the most significant changes are coming to Android and iOS users in the form of BBM Voice and BBM Channels. Think of BBM Voice as you would Skype or Google Hangouts -- it's essentially a way for you to chat with your contacts without touching your allotment of minutes. And Channels, if you'll remember from our preview this past summer, is basically BlackBerry's spin on the social network. Both are already available for current BBM users running BB10, so this addition really just brings the rest of BBM's outsider base up to speed. BlackBerry's also looking to make sharing with BBM a less cumbersome process in the new year. Though the company hasn't elaborated fully on just how it intends to make photo and voice note sharing that much speedier, it seems as if the process will soon require less fussy UI interactions. Users will even be able to divulge their whereabouts with BBM, albeit on a temporary basis and make use of over 100 new emoticons. All of this is coming "in the next couple of months," so if you need something to sate your curiosity now, check out the video after the break.
BBM adds iPad and iPod support, Android and iPhone apps get new features
When BlackBerry Messenger for iOS and Android first launched it was only available for iPhones and Android handsets, but it doesn't look like too many people were left out: BBM was downloaded more than 10 million times in its first 24 hours. That said, even more people will be able to use it starting today: BlackBerry just announced the iOS app will now support iPods and iPads too, assuming you're using iOS 6 or higher. Additionally, the company pushed out bug fixes that should address two major problems: unusually high battery drainage (that's on Android), as well as a glitch that led to missing contact names (this was a problem with the iOS app). On both platforms, BlackBerry has made it easier to find friends who are also using BBM. You'll also get more options for sharing your BBM code. In the Android app, specifically, it should now be easier to sort and filter BBM group lists. Meanwhile, the iOS application has been updated with improved support for right-to-left languages. And that about sums it up -- be sure to hit up the download links below. Because really, who doesn't like a few bug fixes?
BBM caught cheating with Android, CrackBerry epidemic to spread?
RIM's killer BlackBerry feature has always been BBM. So, you'll have to excuse us if we give some side-eye to these leaked shots of the private messaging service two-timing its Canadian maker. The pics over on TechnoBuffalo, supposedly obtained by a RIM employee, show off the BBM for Android app in question running on a crude developer phone. Not much can be glimpsed from the set aside from the application's icon and account interface. It could all be a slick hoax, or maybe the Waterloo-based co. really does plan to release its prized service into greener Android pastures. We'll let you know for sure when we hit up DevCon later this month.
