Official List of BlackBerry OS4.6 Features and Enhancements
Posted in News & Rumors on 28 Aug 2008 12:32 by Kevin Michaluk | 24 comments

OS4.6 Features & Enhancements

The ever-observant eyes of Ronen caught this recently-updated BlackBerry Knowledgebase article that lists all of the operating system features and enhancements present on BBOS version 4.6, which ships native on the BlackBerry Bold. Past reviews and articles have caught the majority of new features, but this article puts them all together in one place and offers up a few more goodies that have been overlooked previously. Here's the quick list:

  • Switch to a paired Bluetooth device during a call
  • New music icon on Homescreen for direct access to playlists
  • New clock application - multiple faces, features alarm, timer, stopwatch
  • LOTS of multimedia and web browser enhancements
  • Setup wizard reminder (annoying!)
  • Unique icons for meeting requests in message list
  • New Shortcuts: On Full QWERTY, Hold down A to lock phone and Q to toggle to Vibrate profile
  • Spell checking while you type
  • Enhanced SMS user interface
  • Support for reverse contrast and enhanced icon discovery
  • Delete apps from the homescreen!!!
  • And new integrated folders

Read the Full Article for Details on What That All Means >>

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Comments
By: Anonymous (not verified) | Date: Thu, 08/28/2008 - 12:33 |

who cares where is the phone in the states, we should have been the first to get it

By: Massonite | Date: Thu, 08/28/2008 - 12:43 |

Why should you have been the first to get it? RIM is a Canadian company, so it makes sense that we get it first.

Although I wish the CDMA version would launch at the same time, but that's another story for another day.

By: Anonymous (not verified) | Date: Thu, 08/28/2008 - 14:26 |

Because we are the USA!!!!!!!

By: speedmetal69 | Date: Thu, 08/28/2008 - 14:28 |

WTF is that supposed to mean?!?!

By: Tooking_mcknn | Date: Tue, 09/02/2008 - 00:05 |

Canadian bawwing that RIMM loves us more.

By: Montala | Date: Thu, 08/28/2008 - 12:36 |

Hi Kevin,

Not quite sure what time you posted this, but I started a thread on it in the 'Bold' section of the Forums earlier today!

I should obviously have checked here first... but perhaps it wasn't here then... who knows?

(You do I'm sure!)

By: Kevin Michaluk | Date: Thu, 08/28/2008 - 12:42 |

You very likely may have had this up in the forums first. I saw Ronen over at BerryReview post on it yetseterday in the blogs, so that's where I reference (bloggers tend to reference other bloggers unless a story gets "broke" within the forums).

But good to have it both locations!

By: Anonymous (not verified) | Date: Thu, 08/28/2008 - 12:58 |

"But good to have it in both locations!"

That's what she said.

By: Snipes | Date: Thu, 08/28/2008 - 12:45 |

I just want the phone... :( I'm almost getting tired of hearing sbout it. Just want it in my hands. ;( -sob-

By: Anonymous (not verified) | Date: Thu, 08/28/2008 - 12:55 |

"Just want it in my hands."

Aaaaand that's what she said.

By: mpaulson | Date: Thu, 08/28/2008 - 13:12 |

I see several new game icons. Are those standard in 4.6 or is it just showing icons of games that are dowloaded? If they are standard, what games are they?

By: jdubau55 | Date: Thu, 08/28/2008 - 13:12 |

I just want to know if this OS is going to be released for the Curve.

By: imadss176 | Date: Thu, 08/28/2008 - 15:07 |

i would also like to know if i can get this for the curve

By: Pete6 | Date: Thu, 08/28/2008 - 14:12 |

Oh yes.

RIM is inching forward. This OS is a statement of commitment to the future. There are some noce features in here that will go a long way to parrying criticisms of BlackBerry OS stagnation.

I point you to the clock application. It looks nice AND it looks like it competely replaces the horrible old alarm.

Good stuff. A Gold Star for RIM.

A D- for putting it out as a technical bulletin.

By: tnewton3 | Date: Thu, 08/28/2008 - 14:39 |

So I have the 8310 with att does this mean the OS upgrade will give me the ability to take video now??

Thanks.

By: cmaduro | Date: Thu, 08/28/2008 - 15:07 |

Since 4.5 OS Upgrade came out for the 8310 you can record videos

By: Nick917 | Date: Thu, 08/28/2008 - 16:39 |

I don't see anywhere in the 4.6 OS documentation that the clock application can be used as a screen saver. I think that would be a great idea. Instead of the screen going blank when the backlight timer goes off, a clock screen saver would be useful and nice. I hope RIM includes that as a screen saver option.

By: tmiv44@gmail.com | Date: Thu, 08/28/2008 - 17:42 |

any chance of this OS coming onto the pearl? i'm tried of dealing with the weak clock application and have been wanting a stop watch/timer for a while now. i mean my 2002 nokia had a timer/stop watch!

By: djsflynn | Date: Thu, 08/28/2008 - 23:50 |

Those totally escaped my notice on my Bold, but are brilliant!

Q (which presumably stands for 'quiet') is actually a toggle - first hold puts the Bold into vibrate-only mode, the second hold returns it to the previous ring setting (which for most of us would be Normal or Loud).

A (which stands for, well, I have NO idea) locking the keyboard is great, because activating the lock is what I use my Bold's left sidekey for -- and actually, as I use the right sidekey for changing ringer profile (to put the phone into silent/vibrate mode for meetings), the discovery of these two shortcut keystrokes has freed up both the sidekeys for an alternative use. Hurrah! Oh blessed day!

By: MRPEREZ67 | Date: Fri, 08/29/2008 - 00:30 |

When is this OS going to be available for the Curve ???? C'mon I want it i want it !!!!!

By: Daveee (not verified) | Date: Sat, 08/30/2008 - 01:39 |

i already have 4.5 on my 8830, and i have to say, for the most part it is pretty good. however, the SMS app is a nightmare, because when it shows the text messages in a conversation, it doesn't say which messages are sent and which ones are recieved, which makes it somewhat confusing if i forget what i wrote and what i sent out. and it lacks the polish that, say, my brother's samsung instinct or my girlfriend's iPhone has in their SMS apps. so that's a welcome improvement, and please release 4.6 for my phone.

however, everything else that 4.6 adds to the picture, it's nice to have, but not first priority for me. the web browser and media player enhancements are awesome, although 4.5 has a good enough media player, and i've learned to rely on opera mini for browsing. the keyboard shortcuts, there's something i like. the clock app will be cool to have. however, SMS upgrades are the biggest draw for me. that, and the fracking HUGE screen that the bold has.

By: davidkoby | Date: Sun, 08/31/2008 - 10:23 |

I tell ya, RIM is starting to blabber about the 4.6 OS and they can't even get 4.5 out for general release yet? What gives. Why bother with 4.5 then? They delayed it so long, why not just cancel it and tell all of us legacy blackberry users to go jump off a cliff. If you want all these cool features, go buy a bold.

By: ducksunlmtd | Date: Mon, 09/01/2008 - 17:08 |

I want a bold so bad I can taste it, I worked for ATT and recently quit. The bold is supposidly to come out Oct. 2nd I cant wait. :)

By: mandograss | Date: Mon, 09/01/2008 - 18:55 |

I have 4.5 on my 8310 curve with AT&T and love it for the v ideo feature but the down side is TeleNav does not support the 4.5 OS. So I had to choose between video and GPS. Video won! I wonder if 4.6 is supported by TeleNav?

 
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