Screenshots and hands-on feedback of BlackBerry OS 4.5 are beginning to spill out, with the upcoming software having a number of incremental tweaks and moderate feature add-ins. Many of the changes could be viewed as merely bringing RIM’s handsets in line with the functionality offered by their Windows Mobile counterparts: spellcheck, voice notes and an improved media player are some of the more interesting introductions, which isn’t really saying much. Upgrades will be available for Pearl (81xx), Curve (83xx) and 8800-series models.
RIM will also be including Documents To Go into the core BlackBerry applications, bringing compatibility with Microsoft Office files to the smartphones. It’s expected to ship with certain, though not all, BlackBerry models. From the screen shots of 4.5, it’s uncertain where the far more advanced GUI of the leaked BlackBerry 9000-series fits in.
Key changes:
- Spellcheck
- Improved maps
- Voice notes
- Better media player
- Bluetooth stereo music
- HTML Email
- Over the air device upgrades
The change in OS will not be limited to an on-device upgrade, and enterprise customers will be faced with the prospect of changing their server setup in order for full functionality to work.
[via Gear Diary]
HTML Email will not suppor under OS 4.5 , this was confirmed on March =S
I have the beta on my Pearl now, and it has its pros and cons. A lot of software doesn’t work correctly with this OS (ColorPearl, xPlayer, etc.) and the music player sorts by song title and not artist. However, the UI looks much nicer and more clean, and the voice recorder now records much longer.