The Blackberry 10 OS which is supposed to run on the next generation devices from RIM is going to integrate a popular feature of Android. The new platform is what the company is placing its bets on to save it from bankruptcy and it might just work out if the Canadian manufacturer plays its cards right. Blackberry 10 is going to have the ability to merge all social networking data of contacts into a single place, making it easier for users to find alternate contact details.
The contacts in Blackberry 10 are going to show, in addition to the phone number, email and BBM pin, the latest tweets and status updates and other online details. In addition, it will also show any future meetings or appointments with the contact, and this data will probably be synced from the various calendar services available. The contacts feature of Blackberry is one of its most critical ones and the company seems intent on making it better. T.A. McCann who recently took over the division said that Blackberry devices are meant to be productive and including such features is only going to make the entire experience better for users.
The first sight of this feature was back on Android 2.0 which appeared first on the Motorola Droid in 2009. The facility grew over time and contacts on Android is now an extensive database showing all necessary details about the person. The feature is also available on the Windows Phone platform with the People Hub service which synchronizes contact details, photographs and other media into one place. The new version of the Windows Phone platform that is scheduled for release in a few weeks is expected to improve upon this feature.
It appears that RIM is looking to its competitors for ideas without infringing on patents. It is possible that the new BB10 platform will integrate some aspect of the iOS but nothing has been confirmed as of now. A good inclusion will be the impressive user interface for multi tasking. While all these sound good to hear, they will be effective only if RIM can implement them perfectly and ensure that they do not hang on users. A recent successful implementation was the facility where users could send messages on the BBM without closing the app they were running and later get back to it.
