RIM introduces BBM Voice

RIM has introduced a new feature for its popular BlackBerry Messenger app called BBM Voice which allows you to call BBM friends for free over WiFi.

Current BlackBerry Messenger services only allows you to send messages, voice notes, images and videos for free to other BBM users anywhere in the globe. Now RIM is upgrading its BBM app to version 7 which will now allow free voice chats over WiFi through a feature called BBM Voice.

Below are some of BBM Voice’s notable features:

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.

BBM 7 also has BlackBerry ID integration so you can easily back up your BBM profile, groups and contacts and restore it in case you switch to a new BlackBerry device.

As of the moment, BBM 7 with BBM Voice is still in Beta and can only be downloaded from BlackBerry Beta Zone.

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Diangson Louie

This article was written by Louie Diangson, Managing Editor of YugaTech. You can follow him at @John_Louie.

https://www.yugatech.com

17 Comments

wh@ says:

12 years ago

So late, i already sold my BB phone
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paul e. says:

12 years ago

Zzzzz…..
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Don says:

12 years ago

wow, this is interesting, free calls over wifi. this is so amazing. I can’t wait for this. (sarcasm)

IMHO, this is what they call VOIP :)
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Obob says:

12 years ago

This is much even cooler if they can integrate it for use using your cellular data. The problem now is how will the telcos tailor it if they’ll adopt it in the philippines
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flod says:

12 years ago

Installed the upgrade but can’t see any voice icon. Does this require the other end user to have installed the upgrade also?
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dodong says:

12 years ago

Yes, both end users should have wifi and are on BIS.

On another topic, I have already grown tired of comments hitting on BB/RIM or blackberry users in general. I’m like, grow up. Sure, you have your fancy iPhones or those Android devices which are heavy on specs but what’s the use of posting negative comments against blackberry, is it some sort of a self-gratifying thing? Have you guys even used a BB device before? Us BB users care more about the experience and the ease of communication a blackberry device provides, not to mention the platform’s security which is unmatched in the industry. We care about getting our emails on time and getting our work done. And with the impending launch of BB10 in Q1 2013, RIM will be back again to what is does best. Innovate, not imitate.
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poncy says:

12 years ago

You can have the same functionality using skype and tango. Cross flatform pa. For android, we have google talk. I think this is not something new. RIM is just trying to catch up
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reader says:

12 years ago

yes you can but it’s not stable. please try all the services that you mentioned and you’ll know that they always crash except for skype but you need to pay.
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poncy says:

12 years ago

I tried all and all are stable. So… what now?
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miki says:

12 years ago

i sold my bb after being able to do group messaging using viber, one thing i always use in bbm. whats nice is cross platform cya and yeah calling via wifi? matagal na yan sa viber.
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Lumidia says:

12 years ago

Wala na. Panget nga kasi Ang bb period.
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Vince says:

12 years ago

Nice! What i like about BB is that even old units like mine which is Curve 9300 have almost the same features as the OS 7.1. Unlike Android na yung Gingerbread hindi na makakahabol sa ICS or JB unless upgradable yung phone mo although may Android ako. Isa pa, hindi mainit sa mata ng mga magnanakaw sa daan.
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poncy says:

12 years ago

oh, and by the way, I think you are misinformed about skype. You only pay if you will call a mobile and landline number. Normal pc-pc, pc-mobile and vv are free.
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Therese says:

12 years ago

So sexy! Loving my BlackBerry even more!
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Jingjing says:

12 years ago

To each his/her own. To those who can’t be bothered with BlackBerry, any update or improvement would be worthless. They would always look down on the platform. Sad lang that many of them are just putting BlackBerry down for the sake of putting it down. I think you can love Android and iOS without being meanspirited – there is always room for competing ecosystems, and at the end of the day, it is the consumer who wins because of the competition. There are those who are highly dependent on their BlackBerry smartphones and who would be absolutely thrilled to hear this piece of news come out. :-)
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ann says:

12 years ago

i dont quite get the point of bullying BB. i mean, are they trying to sue bigger companies because allegedly, they are on their way out of the market? or rather, bullying other players in the smartphone market? i don’t even think they are grabbing the limelight from existing voip apps; rather, they are supplementing a function to their creation so users can still make the most out of it. at least they are doing something and have not forgotten the needs of their users.
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