BlackBerry has announced the BlackBerry Z3

BlackBerry has announced the BlackBerry Z3 at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. The Z3 (aka "Jakarta") is an entry-level BlackBerry 10 device that will be geared toward emerging markets. It is also the first device from BlackBerry's partnership with Foxconn.

The Z3 joins the BlackBerry Z10 and Z30 as an all-touch BB10 device. It is due out in April in Indonesia (hence the Jakarta codename) for under $200 retail price — the cheapest BlackBerry 10 device by far — with plans to expand availability beyond Indonesia in the future. The Z3 has only a 3G radio, no LTE, which isn't surprising given the price point, though BlackBerry CEO John Chen did say that BlackBerry has "a plan to take that phone out globally with LTE sometime in the future."

BlackBerry announces the BlackBerry Q20 - A keyboard phone with the trackpad and function keys

The physical keyboard device is the third BlackBerry 10 QWERTY model with one striking difference — it marks the return of the "tool belt" (trackpad and function keys) that we haven't seen since BB7.

The "BlackBerry Classic" will be out before the end of the year. No info on pricing or availability just yet.

Press Release
BlackBerry Unveils New Flagship BlackBerry 10 Smartphone Designed to Deliver the Full Classic QWERTY Experience
BlackBerry Q20 to Feature the Familiar 'Menu', 'Back', 'Send' and 'End' Buttons and the Integrated Trackpad
BARCELONA, SPAIN--(Marketwired - Feb. 25, 2014) - Mobile World Congress 2014 - Embodying feedback from its millions of passionate QWERTY customers around the world, BlackBerry Limited (NASDAQ:BBRY)(TSX:BB), a global leader in mobile communications, today unveiled a new flagship smartphone designed to deliver its full and distinctive QWERTY experience on BlackBerry® 10. The new BlackBerry® Q20 smartphone will feature the familiar and classic 'Menu', 'Back', 'Send' and 'End' buttons and the integrated trackpad to enable the fast efficient navigation and one-handed use that has endeared the brand to its QWERTY customers.
"In my first 90 days on the job, I consistently heard from our ardent BlackBerry customers that the hard buttons and trackpad are an essential part of the BlackBerry QWERTY experience, that made their BlackBerry smartphone their go-to productivity tool. I want these customers to know that we heard them, and this new smartphone will be for them," said John Chen, Executive Chairman and CEO at BlackBerry. "Today, we're delighted to announce the new BlackBerry Q20 smartphone, which is designed to give you the distinct experience that every BlackBerry QWERTY loyalist and high-productivity business customer absolutely loves. With the BlackBerry Q20 smartphone, you'll get the familiar hard buttons and trackpad that you want, along with the best email service, the best keyboard experience and the best battery life possible."
The new BlackBerry Q20 smartphone will give customers the familiar workflow, efficiency and one-handed use that distinguish the BlackBerry QWERTY smartphone experience. Key features will include:
The 'Menu', 'Back', 'Send' and 'End' buttons and trackpad will be made an integral part of the device and user interface, enabling fast, precise navigation and a natural workflow within and between apps.
The new smartphone will feature BlackBerry's patented QWERTY keyboard design with frets and sculpted keys for the best typing experience.
The best email service including features like BlackBerry® Hub, where you can access all your messages in one place, and enterprise connectivity with BES10.
The BlackBerry Q20 smartphone will include a generous 3.5" touchscreen, the largest display yet on a QWERTY BlackBerry smartphone, giving you more space for viewing messages, browsing Internet and intranet sites and accessing other apps.
The smartphone will be crafted from premium materials and designed for reliability and durability.
A large battery to provide superior battery life.
The BlackBerry Q20 smartphone will come with the latest enhancements in BlackBerry 10 that continue to set the brand apart as the best and most secure tool for mobile productivity and reliable communications. The new smartphone will be available in the second half of 2014. Further details on pricing and availability will be announced at launch.

For more information about BlackBerry 10, visit www.blackberry.com/blackberry10OS.

BBM Coming to Windows Phone & Nokia X

BlackBerry just made their first announcement for Mobile World Congress today. They have announced that BBM is coming to Windows Phone this summer and Nokia X when the platform launches. BlackBerry is jumping all in with BBM Voice and BBM Channels support. The app will remain free which is nice. Execs had the following to say about the announcement:

"BBM continues to grow in popularity as millions of people use our mobile platform for chatting and connecting with friends or colleagues, and we are very excited that we will soon welcome Windows Phone and Nokia X users to the BBM community," said John Sims, President, Global Enterprise Solutions at BlackBerry.
"Today marks an exciting moment for Nokia," said Bryan Biniak, Vice President and GM of Developer Relations, Nokia Corporation. "By bringing BBM to the Windows Phone and Nokia X communities, our customers will be able to experience this popular global messaging app."

BES 10.2 now available

The BlackBerry  Dev Blog just let everyone know that BlackBerry has launched BES 10.2. “The shiniest of the new updates is the debut of Blackberry Web Services (BWS) support for Universal Device Service (UDS). It fills a gaping hole, and with that further reduces the gap that exists between UDS and Blackberry Device Service (BDS). As was previously possible with BDS, BWS now extends the capability to allow you to integrate custom applications with its services for UDS.  Many of the Administration Console tasks typically performed by the administrators can now be automated by developing simple custom applications that connect to the web service.  Here’s a complete list of available APIs as well as sample code snippets.”

Check out more here on the Dev Blog.

Popular LED notification app, HUB++ has been updated

Popular LED notification app, HUB++ has got received an update. Already headless, it's an app many have been using and it's still regularly being updated with new features and enhancements. This latest update brings some nice additions, including the ability to use stock BlackBerry 10 ringtones. I must admit, with the app now headless, I love this app a lot more.

HUB++ v5.5.1.1 changelog

​BB10 stock tones are now integrated
Flip to silence option added
Bug fixes
Headless optimisation
Remember for the headless portion, you need to be running BlackBerry 10.2.1 in order for it to work. Anything lower you will need to still have HUB++ open in an Active Frame. For new users wanting to check out HUB++, you can learn more from our App Gallery.

Download Hub++ from BlackBerry World

Coming next to BBM: Stickers

With quite a big update to BBM on BlackBerry, Android and iOS recently, BlackBerry is working hard to bring more new features to BBM. What's next? BBM Stickers. Bigger and better than your regular emoticons, making your BBM conversations even more interesting. They will be available to download in packs via a BBM Shop that will be coming soon.

BBM Stickers will take the form of characters, themes and will be available in packs of 20-25 stickers. Some of your favorite emoticons will also be turned in to stickers too.

BBM Stickers will go into limited beta, so watch your inbox for any invites. As we get more information we'll keep you posted. The BBM Shop sounds very interesting and is said to be available right from inside BBM.

http://blogs.blackberry.com/2014/02/bbm-stickers-beta/

BBM for Android Gingerbread available now!

The BBM team has officially announced added support for Android device running Gingerbread OS. In a blog post this afternoon, Jeff Gadway announced the move as a way to get more people on board the messaging app, “With 21 per cent of the global Android user base running on Gingerbread, we're excited to welcome lots of new users into the BBM community.”

If you're using a Gingerbread device, drop us a comment below and let us know if it has all the featured on par with the other BBM for Android app or not.

Download BBM for Android from Google Play

BlackBerry Z3 "Jakarta" leaked.

Pic from N4BB.com

The Jakarta will be named the BlackBerry Z3, and it will sport a 5″ display. Unfortunately, that’s as good as it gets in terms of specs, as this device will definitely be on the low-end of the smartphone spectrum.

Display

5inch 540 x 960 pixels, 24-bit color LCD display
Memory

8 GB application storage and 1.5 GB RAM
Processor

1.2 GHz dual-core processor
Battery

2650 mAh non-removable battery
Rear-facing camera:

Autofocus and flash
5x digital zoom
Front-facing camera:

1.1 MP
Fixed-focus
3x digital zoom
While the Z3 may look like a cool device, unfortunately it won’t be packing a lot of power for those of us that are used to the Z30, and Q10-type devices. Hopefully this device will attract consumers in emerging markets though, as that’s its original destination.

BBM 10.3 for BlackBerry 10 Now Available With Location Sharing & More!

We told you that BBM for BlackBerry 10 was getting an update today to v10.3. That update is now available with location sharing, DropBox integration, and more! Here are the main changes:

Faster, easier sharing – quickly add photos, voice notes, files and attachments to your BBM chats from your smartphone or Dropbox account
Location sharing – Share your location temporarily, powered by Glympse. Your location is updated live on a map, right in BBM. When the timer runs out your location is private again.
100 new emoticons – Get your point across with great new emojis
Find Friends – Quickly find and add new BBM contacts from your smartphone contact list
Larger BBM Groups – You can now chat and share with 50 people in your BBM Group
Check out the update here. It may take a few hours for you to see the update.

Android and iOS users finally get the goods as BBM 2.0 has arrived.

Android and iOS users finally get the goods as BBM 2.0 has arrived. Starting later today, BlackBerry, iPhone and Android users will be able to download an updated BBM that includes BBM Channels, BBM Voice, local sharing with Glympse, Dropbox integration and much more. The update will bring things up to speed with the native BBM app on BlackBerry and make for some happy cross-platform users.

We'll have plenty more on this one soon so stay tuned — in the meantime, check out the full press release below.

Press Release
BBM Voice and BBM Channels Now Available for Android and iPhone Customers
New features also include simple file and photo sharing, location sharing, over 100 new emoticons and Dropbox integration for iPhone, Android and BlackBerry Smartphones

WATERLOO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - February 13, 2014) - A new version of BBM™ will be available later today for Android™, iPhone and BlackBerry® (NASDAQ: BBRY)(TSX: BB) customers, giving them lots of exciting new features. Android and iPhone customers will now be able to make free voice calls to BBM contacts over a Wi-Fi® or data connection with BBM Voice(i), as well as access BBM Channels. In addition, BBM customers on Android, iPhone and BlackBerry(ii) smartphones will have more to chat about with fast one-click sharing of photos, documents, voice notes and more. BBM customers will also be able to share their live location for a specified amount of time with other BBM contacts by using location sharing, powered by Glympse, and will have 100 new emoticons available to help them say what's on their mind.

"BBM continues to deliver new functionality as a premier messaging platform that provides a simple and effective way to stay connected. Today's announcement gives Android and iPhone customers the rich experience of BBM Voice and BBM Channels - two great ways to connect with friends, family and colleagues, to build out communities around shared interests, and to follow your favorite people and brands," said John Sims, President, Global Enterprise Solutions at BlackBerry. "BBM continues to quickly evolve as a social mobile platform for consumers as well as for business customers through innovative features that give you great new ways to connect and share with each other."

BBM Channels

BBM Channels lets customers chat with other BBM users about topics that interest them. Customers can join channels about a range of topics from products, hobbies and sports to entertainment, fashion, cars and more. Channels can be created by brands, businesses and BBM customers alike and are a great way to communicate directly and immediately with people who share common interests in the broader BBM community.

By posting to their channel, channel owners immediately reach their subscribers with a message that can spark discussions. "Scheduled chat hours" allow BBM customers to have live chats with the channel owner - a great way to engage directly with their favorite channels one on one.

BBM Channels maintains the BBM core values of immediacy, privacy and control. Because BBM Channels live right inside BBM, BBM customers get notified the moment one of the channels they follow has a new post, or when someone responds to their comments.

With BBM Channels, customers can engage with brands or other customers without having to add them to their contact lists, thereby maintaining a high level of privacy. With BBM Channels, customers have the discretion to opt in only to channel brands that are relevant to them and always have control over the channels they subscribe to, while channel owners have control over how subscribers interact with their channel.

For brands and businesses, BBM Channels provides a new way to interact and connect with a highly engaged and targeted mobile audience. There are thousands of brands already using BBM Channels to engage with their customers. More on BBM Channels:

Open, yet private. Channel owners control the conversation on their channels. Channel owners can choose to: allow subscribers to comment on posts freely or to approve them first; let subscribers chat with them directly anytime, or set chat hours; they can interact with subscribers without ever giving out personal details, or adding them as a personal BBM Contact. And with private channels, channel owners can keep in touch with closer circles on an invite-only basis.
Channel reporting. Each channel has its own performance dashboard built right in. Channel owners can see stats on how subscribers are engaging with their channel, how many people have viewed each post and how the subscriber base is growing.
It's fast and easy. Start a channel right from a BlackBerry, iPhone or Android smartphone. It only takes a few minutes to set up a BBM Channel and once it is set up, posting to it is as simple as choosing a photo and adding a short message
Location Sharing

With location sharing powered by Glympse, customers can now share their real-time location with one or several BBM contacts for a specified amount of time - perfect for when people are running late, out with friends and more. BBM puts control in the customers' hands, allowing them to specify how long they want to share their location for, by setting a timer. When the timer runs out the customers' location becomes private again.

Dropbox Support

Built-in support for Dropbox™ makes it easy to send large files like presentations and videos. With Dropbox built in to BBM, you can send a file from your personal cloud directly to a BBM contact. On the receiving end, you can save the file directly to your smartphone or add it to your Dropbox account.

Emoticons

BBM customers have been asking for more emoticons, and now more than 100 new emoticons have been added to help you express yourself. Many of the new emoticons came from ideas submitted by customers!

BBM continues to connect friends, family and colleagues across a myriad of mobile networks, as the standard for mobile instant messaging with a fast, reliable, and engaging experience that puts control of privacy and personal information back in the customers' hands.

BMO Mobile Banking app for BlackBerry 10 arrives in BlackBerry World

If you've been waiting for the Bank of Montreal mobile baking app to arrive in BlackBerry World, the wait is over. The app has now arrived and is ready for download for all BlackBerry 10 devices. BMO packed it full of features you'd expect from a banking app but you can view the full list below.

• View Balances and Transactions Quickly view your bank account, credit card, mortgage, and investment balances directly from your Account Summary. View transaction history on any of your accounts with a simple swipe of your finger.  
• Transfer Funds and Send Money via INTERAC e-Transfers®* Transfer funds between all of your eligible accounts. Send INTERAC e-Transfers to anyone on your recipient list or add new recipients on the go.  
• Pay Bills and Manage Payees Pay bills immediately or setup a future-dated bill payment. Add or edit existing payees, and review your payment history.   
• View Detailed Account Info Get the information you need anytime you choose. View credit card statement balances, due dates, minimum payments and funds on hold for bank accounts.  
• Book an Appointment Need to meet with one of our representatives? Book a branch appointment right on your smartphone. It's fast and easy.  
• Travel Notifications Traveling abroad? Setup a travel notification to ensure you have uninterrupted access to your credit card while you are away.  
• Multi-card Support Save your most used BMO Debit Cards or BMO personal credit cards with nicknames to sign in quickly and securely.  
• Find BMO Search for nearby BMO branches and ATMs for assistance. 

Download BMO Mobile Banking

How to see AccuWeather information on the OS 10.2.1 clock

One of the new features in OS 10.2.1  is that the Clock app now includes AccuWeather information. This convenient feature lets you know first thing in the morning when you silence your alarm how to dress and whether you need an umbrella when you leave for work.

As it does not automatically activate here are the steps to follow to display on the BlackBerry 10 clock.

• Open the Clock application
• Tap on the World Clock icon in the bottom tray
• Add a city/location by using the search bar above and selecting the one you want. As of now, only major cities populate the list, so be sure to select the nearest one to your location.
• Once the city is added, the weather icon will appear to the left of the time

For more detailed information, tap on the desired city and the relevant AccuWeather information is shown

Quad Core BlackBerry “Ontario” Spotted in Geekbench Benchmarks

It seems like someone at BlackBerry was a bit eager to see how their prototypes stack up to the competition. A couple forum members on CrackBerry spotted a Geekbench benchmark for an unannounced BlackBerry 10.3.0.92 device with a Quad Core Snapdragon prototype. The Ontario device is running an MSM8974 quad core Krait processor and reported to be 2.15Ghz even though the processors are natively 2.3Ghz . The device also has 2GB of RAM which is nice to see and the prototype is already on the 2nd revision.

Should be interesting to see where this fits into the BlackBerry portfolio.

Skype for BlackBerry 10 updated to improve video calling and messaging

Back in October Skype for BlackBerry 10 got a nice update that brought a new UI but since then the app hasn't any other updates. Now though, a new release is filtering through BlackBerry World that will hopefully improve the overall experience when using the app. As noted in the change log, the update addresses some bugs with video calling and messaging. Outside of that, Skype just noted 'other improvements' as being the biggest change. In any case, the update is live now in BlackBerry World.

Download Skype for BlackBerry 10

60% off SayIt for BlackBerry 10

 BKU Software has placed their highly popular BlackBerry application SayIt on sale for its one year anniversary on BlackBerry 10! If you have not already purchased SayIt now is your chance to pick it up at a savings of 60% off! SayIt is a voice recognition and assistant software that is in our opinion better they Apple’s Siri.

Download SayIt for BlackBerry 10

Vine App “Whine” Hits BlackBerry World for Free!

The BlackBerry community just received another awesome gem from a developer who stepped in to improve the platform. Vine has yet to release an official BlackBerry 10 app so Bojan Komljenovic stepped up with his own Vine client for BlackBerry 10 called Whine. It lets you record and upload your Vines from the app on top of viewing others. Best of all the app is free!

Check out Whine free in BlackBerry World.

Related articles

• How to install Vine on BlackBerry

BlackBerry Beta Zone app updated to v10.0.0.33

There's no need to go to BlackBerry World to download this one, just simply open the app and hit the update now button and you'll be off to the races. Now, we just need some new beta apps to test out.

Improvements:

• "My Discussions" feature lets you view a list of your active threads
• Basic Search functionality
• You can now "Like" individual posts
• "Go to Page" allows you to navigate to a specified page
• App remains on current page after posting/replying
• Survey navigation improvements

The BlackBerry Beta Zone app itself has now moved into v10.0.0.33 with a few changes, though most of them are focused on the community side of things and as such are improvements to for the official BlackBerry Beta Zone forums.

BBM for iPhone and Android updated with feature to Find Friends

There was never really a way to easily discover which friends and contacts are using BBM and quickly add them to your contacts. Until now.


The latest version of BBM adds the ability to find friends using BBM on Android and iOS by using your address book. This feature was in the leaked Gingerbread BBM leak for Android but this is not BBM v2.0 which is coming in a few weeks.

How to install an Android App on BlackBerry 10.2.1

BlackBerry 10.2.1 introduced the ability to install .APK files, which are the app files used in Android, directly to your phone. This throws the doors open to install a wide variety of Android apps on your BlackBerry 10 device, be it a Z10, Q10, Q5, Z30, or anything else. This used to be possible through a long, convoluted process, but it's much easier now. Basically, if you can't find an app in BlackBerry World, odds are there are other sources for your favorite app.


Step 1: Find your APK
We have a few sources you can count on.

Amazon App Store
1mobile Market
APK Train (website)
Snap APK Downloader​

Step 2: Get the APK file on your BlackBerry
You can get an Android APK install file on your BlackBerry by visiting the source in your BlackBerry browser (which is the easiest option), e-mailing yourself the file, or moving the file directly from your computer to your phone by plugging them together with a USB cable.

Step 3: Install the APK file from your BlackBerry
If you downloaded the APK from your browser, the Downloads window should have already popped up asking you where you want to save it and what the filename should be; just tap the file when it's done. If the download window isn't there, it's easy enough to get back up. Tap the overflow menu button in the bottom-right (three little dots), and tap Downloads.

If the file was moved to your phone in any other way, you can find it easily by tapping the magnifying glass icon from the home screen at the bottom in the middle and typing ".apk" in the search box at the top. Anything you've moved over should show up under the Documents and Files result. Just tap the one you want to install.

Your Android app should start installing after a short "Processing" indicator. Tap the Install button in the top right, and tap Accept on the pop-up window which informs you of the device permissions that are required for the app to run.



Extra information
The first time you install an .APK, you'll be prompted to turn off a safety setting which otherwise blocks installation of these files. The previous installation screen should return with a handy "Open" button replacing the "Install" button when it's done. At that point, the app will now show up alongside all of your other apps. Just swipe on the home screen from right to left a few times to find the icon and put it in whatever folder or home screen you like. Hold your finger on the icon for a moment to drag it around. Another thing you may want to do is hide the bar at the bottom of the screen. Just swipe down from the top when the app is open, and tap Hide bar.

Now, remember that there are no guarantees that these apps will function as advertised. BlackBerry does not run Android, it can just run Android apps. The Android app player in BlackBerry 10 is good, and should handle most of what you throw at it. Test things out and let us know what's working and what isn't in the comments! Having trouble installing something? You can ask for help in the comments too!