BBM for Android & iOS not getting June 27 release date

BBM for Android and iOS will not get a release date on June 27, but it could come pre-installed on some Android handsets, reports claim

BlackBerry has high hopes for the rollout of its BBM service on Android and iOS, so much so that we might even see it pre-installed by some manufacturers. 

UPDATE: BlackBerry fielded questions about BBM for Android and iOS at the London launch of the Q5 earlier today. Unfortunately the BlackBerry execs weren't able to tell us anymore about concrete release dates for the service – 'BBM for iOS and Android is coming this summer'. 

BBM, one of BlackBerry’s most unerring USPs over the years, is coming to iOS and Android this summer. BlackBerry CEO Thorsten Heins broke the news at the company’s BB Live 2013 expo in Florida last month. 

Android and iOS will both support the application and the messaging service is expected to go live at some point this summer. BlackBerry hasn’t been particularly forthcoming about a specific release date although summer is now very much underway, so the service could appear inside Google Play and Apple's App Store very soon. 

Alluding to BBM’s pre-installation on some Android devices, BlackBerry’s COO Kristian Tear told CNET: ‘There is interest from other handset makers.’ And rightly so, too. BBM is used by 51 million users a month for an average of 90 minutes a day, according to reports.  

T-Mobile US dropped a ball this week, claiming the service would be available for Android users from June 27 on Twitter before subsequently retracting the statement, presumably after receiving a bollocking from BlackBerry. Here’s the retraction: ‘sorry folks, we got over-excited about the BBM app coming to Android/iOS. No specific availability date yet, stay tuned for details.’ 

BBM for Android is likely to be more feature-rich than its iOS-based counterpart, owing to the more open-nature of Google’s mobile platform, according to BlackBerry. And not all features will make the transition with the company keeping some BBM features exclusive to its hardware.

There will be chats (including multi-user chats), Groups and voice notes. Voice and video calls, channels plus screen sharing will be added later on. 

Is this exciting? We think it is – BBM is a great service and we’ve been dreaming of it making its way over to iOS and Android for years. 

Source: Knowyourmobile

Posted by Unknown

on Friday, June 28, 2013

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BlackBerry posts a quarterly loss of $84 million, ships 6.8 million phones

BlackBerry just posted its latest quarterly results, and it managed to ship 6.8 million devices in the first quarter when the flagship Z10 has been sold for a complete period.

Revenue increased from $2.8 billion to $3.1 billion year-on-year, but restructuring charges and turnaround expenses are blamed for a quarterly loss of $84 million. Microsoft might have had a point when it bragged to be a viable third platform candidate with Windows Phone and Nokia's support now, beating BlackBerry for the spot. Needless to say, BlackBerry's shares took a nosedive after the press release.

Source: Phonearena

Posted by Unknown

on Friday, June 28, 2013

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Report: BlackBerry 10.1 update ends rebooting issue; AT&T to try again to update BlackBerry Z10

When BlackBerry launched its first all-touch model, the BlackBerry Storm 9530, via Verizon in the fall of 2008, it might have been the worst launch ever. The accelerometer worked occasionally and the overall impression was that the phone came to market half baked. That launch led RIM's co-CEO at the time, Jim Balsillie, to say that all smartphone launches in the future would contain buggy software that would need numerous updates. 

Thankfully, the future of smartphone launches never approached Balsillie's prediction. But we do have to note that when the all-touch BlackBerry Z10 launched earlier this year, some owners were battling a nasty bug that would automatically reboot the phone. Those with a Z10 powered by BlackBerry 10.0.10.684, 10.0.10.672, and 10.0.9.2743 have been prone to the random reboot issue which should be resolved with an update to BlackBerry 10.1.2050 or higher. That is the word from a BlackBerry Knowledge Base article.

Last week, AT&T tried to send out a BlackBerry 10.1 update but had to halt it before it could be completely rolled out to its 'Berry totin' customers. It seems that the Canadian based OEM had started pushing out the update before the carrier had put it through its testing process. That doesn't mean that the update requires any changes to it, it just means that AT&T hadn't had the chance to affix its seal of approval on it. The very same update will most likely be sent out for a second attempt soon. 

Since no notification was sent out to alert the operator's Z10 users that an update was available (which it was for a few users for a brief period of time), those who had rebooted their phone or had happened to hit their monthly update check at the right time, were able to see notification of it and download and install the latest update to the OS. Meanwhile, Verizon is said to be close to getting its Z10 owners up to date, leaving those on AT&T frustrated and envious. The word around the barber shop is that the nation's second largest carrier will try again to update the BlackBerry Z10 on July 1st.

"Every handset launched is subject to weeks of external testing to assure every device delivers a quality experience for customers. Before a device reaches AT&T labs it goes through testing with independent labs. Each device must be PTCRB certified in order to be submitted for AT&T’s Network Ready testing. PTCRB is the North American standard for testing wireless products and gaining PTCRB certification is a requirement for a product to work on a GSM-based wireless network. Testing includes (but not limited to), radio frequency testing, UV exposure testing, water testing, drop/impact tests, abrasion/scratch tests, chemical tests, application tests (streaming quality of apps), bandwidth usage on network, and field testing (voice quality, simultaneous data/voice, usage time.) "-AT&T

source: BlackBerry via Crackberry (1), (2)

Posted by Unknown

on Friday, June 28, 2013

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Easy Password’ Feature Coming to BlackBerry OS 10.1

An “easy password” feature will be heading it’s way to BlackBerry 10.1 according to BlackBerry Product Manager Michael Clewly’s BBM Channel. This will be a simple, easy PIN lock for those who wouldn’t want to type a long password with the Z10 keyboard.

You will always want to keep your device password locked, but you don’t want it to be a hassle. It has to be easy for you, but still secure enough that others won’t get into your device without you wanting them to. That’s what the feature does.

Source: CB  via  n4bb

Posted by Unknown

on Sunday, June 23, 2013

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Official: BlackBerry Z10 OS 10.1.0.2006 from AT&T

AT&T has at last gotten on the ball with rolling out BlackBerry OS 10.1 to Z10 users. Customers have been reporting seeing OS 10.1.0.2006 pushed to their BlackBerry Z10s.

You may recall, BlackBerry 10.1 has the following features:

BlackBerry Hub: The BlackBerry Hub lets you access all your messages and notifications in one place. With BlackBerry 10.1 support for PIN to PIN messages for direct communication between BlackBerry smartphones has been added to the BlackBerry Hub. Plus, improved attachment support in the BlackBerry Hub makes it easier to view emails which have been sent as attachments to other messages.

Notifications: With BlackBerry 10.1 you can personalize the notifications for your accounts and contacts so you always know what is happening around you. Customize ringtones, vibration and the LED light by contact or by account for more personalized notifications.

Fine Cursor Control: BlackBerry 10.1 makes it easier and more accurate to pinpoint exactly where you want to type. Tap once to bring up the cursor. Grab the blue circle and drag it around to place it exactly where you need it. Tap either side of the circle to move left or right by just one character. It’s easy to move around with speed and precision.

Camera: BlackBerry 10 lets you create the perfect shot by moving parts of your  picture backwards and forwards in time with Time Shift mode. BlackBerry 10.1 adds an HDR shooting mode for beautiful images in tricky lighting conditions. A standard image takes a picture at one exposure level. Where you have high contrast  between light and dark areas of the photo, fine details can be lost. High Dynamic Range (HDR) mode takes multiple pictures at different exposure levels and layers them automatically to produce a single photo that combines the best of the dark and light areas.

Lots more to discover: You’ll find lots of new improvements across the BlackBerry 10 OS like landscape support for the calendar, easier international dialing, improved red eye reduction in the picture editor and much more. The first step to discovering these new features is to update your BlackBerry 10 software.

If you’re on AT&T hit the updates button in the Settings section to see if it’s available to you.

Source: n4bb

Posted by Unknown

on Sunday, June 23, 2013

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BlackBerry and Skype Giving Away 3 Month World Subscriptions

Have you recently downloaded Skype for Blackberry 10? In celebration of Skype finally arriving on BlackBerry, you can receive a 3 month world voucher.

All you have to do is head over to the voucher claiming website here and fill out the requested information. You’ll need your BlackBerry 10 phone’s PIN and IMEI.

Once you proceed and see your voucher code, copy it, click ‘claim voucher’, sign into Skype, and then paste the voucher code. After that you’ll be able to enjoy 3 free months of calls to 60 countries compliments of BlackBerry.BlackBerry 10.1 OS is required to download the Skype app. The Skype Unlimited* World Voucher offer is only available in USA, Canada, UK, Germany, Italy, Turkey, Spain, Netherlands, South Africa, Nigeria, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Australia.

Click below to get your Skype voucher.

• Get a 3 month Skype voucher

Posted by Unknown

on Sunday, June 23, 2013

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Viber Likely Releasing with BlackBerry OS 10.2, says CEO

Viber, one of the most popular VoIP and messaging apps, recently had their CEO Talmon Marco sit down for an interview. Marco explains his future innovations for  the company and thoughts on the messaging market.

Within the interview, Marco is asked what other platforms the company intends to extend Viber. We’ve known for sometime that Viber has been planning a release on BlackBerry 10.

Marco says that his company plans to have the launch soon “likely hand in hand with the release of BB 10.2″, but we’re not entirely sure when that will be. Nevertheless, keep your eyes peeled.

source: TruTower via n4bb

Posted by Unknown

on Sunday, June 23, 2013

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