Yesterday many download BBM version 6.0.0.73 from the beta zone and while there isn’t anything really new in terms of UI, there’s a few features that are new for both users and developers. The new BlackBerry Messenger 6.0 will be able to leverage the BBM Social Platform, which has some really cool app hooks such as the ability to send an app to a friend and share more through the PIN messaging system. From a user standpoint, we won’t see those features until developers start implementing, but in the meantime there’s a cleaner interface for adding contacts and some performance improvements. Other features include:
- Updated BBM branding (we can’t see much or any of this)
- More “snappy” and responsive feel
- Any alerts set for SMS contacts are now preserved in BBM once SMS contact is integrated with BBM
- Visual distinction of message drafts vs. sent messages
- “Invite a Text Messaging Contact” — easier to search contacts
- Location Search — you can now search for a location before sending, similar to the Location Search experience via SMS
- Location Sending — you can now detect location with cell tower triangulation or GPS
- Appointment Sending – sending appointment or calendar events is now a similar experience to that of sending appointment via SMS
Keep in mind BBM 6 is still in beta and there are potentially still bugs. For example, many users are reporting the D/R messages have disappeared. To download, head over to the BlackBerry Beta Zone.
