Upgrades to BlackBerry 7.1 (dates TBC) and BBM6.1 (available now), and Visa certification for BlackBerry smartphones.
The BBM6.1 upgrade is available now in BlackBerry App World.
The updates were released by Research In Motion (RIM) during CES 2012.
BlackBerry 7.1 upgrade – dates TBC in Asia
For users of the latest BlackBerry 7 smartphones, some of the features of the BlackBerry 7.1 OS upgrade are described below.
Keep smiling with the free BBM6.1 upgrade.
With the addition of BlackBerry Tag, users of NFC-enabled BlackBerry smartphones (incl. Bold 9900, Curve 9360 and Curve 9380) can instantly invite a friend to BBM, exchange contact information, documents, URLs, photos and other multimedia content, as well as pair their BlackBerry smartphone with an NFC enabled Bluetooth device.
Turn your BlackBerry smartphone into a mobile hotspot that can be shared by up to 5x Wi-Fi-enabled devices, including laptops and tablets.
Free upgrade to BlackBerry Messenger 6.1
Universal Search has been further improved to help users find what they are looking for. The enhancement includes an auto-suggest feature that intelligently filters Bing search results to offer users a variety of relevant Web sites based on their search terms.
Customers with a BlackBerry Curve 9360 or 9380 smartphones will find a nice surprise with the BlackBerry 7.1 OS update in the form of an FM radio.
BBM6.1 upgrade – available now in BlackBerry App World
This upgrade offers support for animated avatars (animated GIFs), a dozen new and fun emoticons to spice up conversations, and the ability to customize chat bubbles with different colors.
BBM6.1 is available now on BlackBerry App World.
In addition, the new BBM app allows users to add customized personal messages of up to 160 characters in their online Profile, more than double the length supported in previous versions.
Users can now set the picture for their BBM avatar directly from the camera app – simply snap a picture and select “Set as BBM Display Picture” from the menu.
Read the full press release here.
Visa certifies BlackBerry smartphones for use as Visa Mobile Payment Devices
Following the approval of BlackBerry devices as the first certified smartphones of the MasterCard PayPass program, Visa has certified the BlackBerry Bold 9900, BlackBerry Curve 9360 and BlackBerry Curve 9380 as compliant payment products available for commercial deployment by financial institutions.
All the new devices certified by Visa can use the built-in NFC (Near Field Communication) technology to facilitate wireless payments using contactless payment terminals.
Read the full press release here.
