Blackberry have today begun to roll out their updates to Blackberry 10 OS to bring it to 10.2.1. This brings with it a number of advantages and new options including:
- Video Call has the new call screen
- FM Radio (Only Q10, Q5, Z30.. Z10 does not support this)
- Wi-Fi Direct
- Miracast
- Share Screen
- Media Volume displays at top of screen
- New incoming call screen
- Update to Device Monitor app
- Update to Data Monitor app
- Clock App includes Accuweather information
- Flashlight app added (can be accessed from Quick Settings)
- Ability to arrange accounts in the Hub
- Pinch gesture in the Hub for quick access to specified messages
- Changes to battery and charging icons plus battery shows percentage in peek view
- Updates to native weather app
- New Quick Settings functionality for dropdown menu
- Updates to Media Player
- Added Picture Password
- Speed Dial from homescreen (Q10)
- Added Contact Groups
- Custom contact profiles for email, SMS, BBM and phone calls
- Delete options from Hub (device and/or server)
- Face detection toggle in Camera
- Airplane-Mode automatically turned on in Bedside Mode
- Lockscreen previews open directly to application
- New native wallpapers added
- Next email toggle inside email messages
- Updated Twitter app
- BBM adds vibrate on ping and new emoticons
- Wolfram Alpha commands
But in my eyes, the major fantastic change is
- Direct Install of APK Files on device through File Manager or Browser
Yes, you read right, you can load Android applications directly onto your Blackberry 10 device. No hacking, no rooting, no hoping you don’t brick your phone; plain good old fashioned ‘find the right APK for your Android application and load it directly onto your phone’. I did this today on my Blackberry Z10 and it looks like this:
So the above screen shows an alternative app store loaded and my favourite podcast app added. I also managed Netflix:
In our Z10 review James found the ported Android apps to be a bit of a mixed bag but in my brief experience today everything has worked fine.
Have you updated yet? Have you tried to add any Android apps? Does anyone even use Blackberry any more? Feel free to comment in the feedback box below.