RIM recently announced that they would launch the latest version of their mobile OS, BlackBerry 10 on the 30th of January 2012, and they have now released some more details on some of the features that will be available in BlackBerry 10.
One of those is a new version of BlackBerry Messenger (BBM), which will come with an interesting feature, free WiFi calling between BBM users, you will be able to instantly talk with your friends over BBM over WiFi with BBM Voice.
“BBM is the quick, easy way to stay connected to the people that matter to you, and with today’s announcement we’re expanding the capabilities of the service for deeper social engagement and even greater collaboration, beginning with voice functionality,” said T.A. McCann, Vice President of BBM and Social Communities at RIM. “The new BBM Voice feature is for when you’re travelling and you want to call home without worrying about phone charges. It’s for when you have news you can’t wait to share, for quickly explaining complicated details, and collaborating with colleagues. Whenever your ideas are too big for text, there’s BBM Voice.”
Have a look at the features below that will be available in BBM Voice.
Customers can initiate a BBM Voice call directly, or instantly switch from a BBM text chat to talk, and back again.
The split-screen feature allows customers to talk and text at the same time, so for example, they can send a picture to their contact while talking with them. They can also check other BBM text chats, check email, or navigate to other apps while engaged on a BBM Voice call.
BBM provides a visual indicator that shows when contacts are available for a voice call.
BBM Voice is compatible with any accessories a customer has now for making voice calls on their BlackBerry smartphone, such as a Bluetooth® or wired headset. Customers can also use BBM Voice over their BlackBerry smartphone’s speakerphone.
If it’s not an ideal time to talk, customers can simply choose to respond by texting back.
RIM is releasing a beta version of the new BBM 7, which includes the BBM Voice, it will work on BlackBerry devices running BlackBerry 6 OS or higher, you can find out more details over at RIM.