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First BlackBerry 10 Software Update Improves Hub, Camera

BlackBerry Z10 owners who update their system software will see camera, messaging and battery performance gains.

By Eric Zeman InformationWeek
March 01, 2013 01:13 PM

Mobile World Congress 2013: 9 Hot Gadgets
Mobile World Congress 2013: 9 Hot Gadgets
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BlackBerry has posted the first significant update to its BlackBerry 10 operating system. The update, which can be downloaded over the air by the Z10, promises to smooth out some rough edges within the operating system.

BlackBerry 10 version 10.0.10.85 is best downloaded and installed via Wi-Fi. The update weighs in at about 150 MB. According to BlackBerry, it prioritized which problems to address based on user feedback from Z10 owners. The update doesn't add any significant new features to the burgeoning platform, but the numerous bug fixes are welcome, indeed.

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BlackBerry 10.0.10.85 makes over 60 individual system tweaks to help improve battery life. The company believes it will significantly lengthen battery life of the Z10. Without the update, the Z10 often has trouble making it though an entire day.

[ Curious about the upcoming BlackBerry Z10? Read BlackBerry Z10: 5 Best Features. ]

Users hooked on Gmail, Google Contacts and Google Calendar will be happy to learn that the system update resolves several issues that affected performance in BlackBerry Hub, the new messaging center. Notably, Google Calendars behave more consistently and support multiple calendars. Other improvements to the Hub clean up how it handles call logs and imports contact data from various online services.

BlackBerry also took care to help out third-party applications. The update improves performance of such apps, and BlackBerry says the changes should help developers increase the responsiveness of their apps. (The company hinted that some big name third party apps will hit the BlackBerry Store in the weeks to come.) BlackBerry didn't make clear, however, if it is referring to third-party apps written natively for BB10, or if it is referring to ported Android apps.

The system update also boosts the performance of media applications, including the camera and the browser. The camera should perform better in low-light conditions, said BlackBerry, and the browser should play website videos more smoothly.

In all, the changes address some of the initial complaints made by owners of the Z10 and lay the foundation for more improvements down the road. Please let InformationWeek know how the update works for you in the comments below.

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