We knew it was coming but the question was when? The answer? Tomorrow!! If you own a BlackBerry PlayBook you'll be able to start using the video chat application come May 3rd. See the details below.
Press Release
RIM Announces New Video Chat Application for the BlackBerry PlayBook Tablet
Allows BlackBerry PlayBook users to easily share special moments with friends and family
Waterloo, ON - Research In Motion (RIM) (NASDAQ: RIMM; TSX: RIM) today announced the availability of the BlackBerry® PlayBookTM Video Chat application - an easy and fun way for friends and family to place and receive video calls between BlackBerry® PlayBookTM tablets over an internet connected Wi-Fi® network.
"BlackBerry is a renowned mobile communication solution for connecting users to the people and information that matter most throughout their day," said Tom Goguen, VP, Collaboration and Social Networking at Research In Motion (RIM). "With the BlackBerry PlayBook Video Chat application we are excited to be enabling our customers to share important moments and events with family and friends via video calls. With the BlackBerry PlayBook's high-resolution video cameras and stunning display, a Video Chat call is the next best thing to being there."
Key features of the PlayBook Video Chat application include:
- One-Click Video and Voice over Wi-Fi Calls - with just one click users can make a call from their Video Chat contact list, log of recent calls or simply by entering the BBID email address of the person they want to call.
- Incoming Call Notifications - users will receive a notification pop-up when a new video call comes in, allowing them to accept the call as either a video or voice call, or decline the call. For those quiet moments - such as when while watching a movie or playing a game -users will also have the ability to simply set the "Do Not Disturb" option and the BlackBerry PlayBook will automatically ignore all incoming calls.
- Powerful In-Call Functions - by using the picture-in-picture function users can easily preview their own video image prior to placing the call in order to see what will be displayed on the other end. They can also easily switch cameras from front to rear so their friends can see what they are seeing, and for private moments users can mute/unmute audio or make or take calls using voice only.
- Friends List - BlackBerry PlayBook Video Chat comes complete with a Friends List for maintaining your favorite contacts. A picture can easily be added to a contact to personalize the entry and a Call Log makes it simple to keep track of received and missed calls.
The BlackBerry PlayBook Video Chat application will be showcased this week at BlackBerry World 2011 (www.blackberryworld.com) in Orlando FL. It is expected to be available on May 3 and will be distributed to existing BlackBerry PlayBook customers through an over-the-air software update and will also be available on BlackBerry App WorldTM.
Reader comments
BlackBerry PlayBook Video Chat Application Officially Announced!
Cant wait until i see it in action!
AWESOME
It just keeps getting BETTER and BETTER,
Funny how no one noticed that the photo of the video chat option shown here is ripped off from apple's iPad2's commercial. I thought you guys can do better than this!
Never mind, a bunch you did notice it! ;)
hopefully this makes things easier for developers and maybe they will be able to develop video chat apps for skype, gmail, yahoo etc now that this will be in the field.
Works for me.
Just need to get the wife one and my friends to get them.. Shouldn't be too hard as they are all using BB... Which is crazy to me.. They won't give up their blackberries.. I gave my wife and iphone 3gs and she won't use it.. Only for angry birds.. LOL... should of bough there an ipod touch.
2 things
- Yes the pictures used are the same pictures apple is using on their web site for FaceTime.
- I just checked and Skype is only available for the iphone and not the ipad.
I am glad to see multiple updates being launched this week. I am feeling much more comfortable about buying a PB. Fathers Day may be the day - I hope my wife/kids are reading this.
This is good news and a good start, but I need skype. Over the years I have a lot of friends that use skype. None of them have a playbook right now, so it will be a while before I can use playbook chat. Can I please have skype soon RIM. I am a real black berry fan but if I don't see skype by summer I may have to move on to another tablet.
I don't think any tablet supports Skype? Or am I wrong? It does happen just ask my wife :)
Now if I can just get everyone I know to buy a Playbook... :)
The reason for this app is because eventually, when qnx comes to phones, they will all have front facing cameras....thus, this app will already be perfected and work right out of the box. Its a good thing to have and to start it on the playbook. The app although ready now, wont really be utilized until the qnx phones come out as well.
Why not just create a skype app? Why go and spend all the time to create a app that only works PB to PB? Had they gone stright up with Skype or a MSN app that supports video chat they would have run over every other tablet out there. Don't get me wrong its a great thing to have, but again RIM is just towing the line. Take the lead guys, build something the connects to PC based system and get out ahead of the rest.
First of all it's not released yet...
Secondly who said it wasn't going to be cross-platformed...
Well if it was cross platform you think that would have been in the press release, if it does support a PC interface of some kind that infomation would have been hudge. Here is hoping RIM is letting us find out on our own.
useless b/c i have no friends that use the playbook.
regardless though, nice we'll be getting the capability though.
And what about connection between BB and PB?
Well, you kinda need BBs to have front facing cameras.
Now they need to bring front facing cameras to the phones... then it will be a complete package.
what would take this over the top? make a PC/MAC client with abilty to add any major video chat programs that are commonly used. Kind of like Trillian on crack!
playbook is ahead compared to ipad
Except you need other people to have PlayBooks. Useless feature to me...
Am I the only one to notice that the picture of the chat application on the Playbook is taken from the iPad FaceTime!
Playbook will never come close to the iPad!
Crackberry made that picture smart one...
Not Blackberry stop drinking your kool-aid.
OS update available
exciting but need a cross platform so can talk with non-pb users.
This increases value of the plybook somewhat, but to really increase value please work with skype. BBM video will still be preferred by 2 playbook users due to notifications (no one will want to run Skype in background) but please get skype!!!!!
I saw a skype app for $2.99 on playbooks website. It must be near release.
Although I'm not a video chat fan, it's great that they delivered and I'm sure many will be happy for this.
is it universal? Can I use this to chat with My friends in my Yahoo messenger or skype account or msn? [cross platform]
Fantastic, lots of news this morning. Someone in recovery mode? Regardless good news, but will I require a Skype type of application to go cross platform?
Just hope a native email client is announced soon as well.
They said that would be announced 60 days after the PB release date...
They kept their promise...
Sweet