What to expect for BlackBerry smartphones

SAN FRANCISO--A seamless integration between the Adobe Creative Suite and application development software and services platforms were the key highlights at the second annual BlackBerry Developer Conference this week. Now, while the availability of richer developer tools may not directly affect end-users, it does give consumers a glimpse into some upcoming features.
We managed to speak to several RIM executives about the BlackBerry operating system, App World, BlackBerry Web browser and gaming at the event. We've rounded up some of the key questions and answers below. Do note that the responses come from a few people, but for the sake of simplicity, we've attributed the answers to the company in general.
Questions were answered by three RIM spokespersons, namely Paxton Cooper (Senior Director, Platform Product Management) Alan T. Panezic (VP, Platform Product Management Group) and Tyler Lessard (VP, ISV Alliances and Developer Relations).

BlackBerry OS 5.0 | App World | Browser | Games

BlackBerry OS 5.0

CNET Asia: What does the BlackBerry OS 5.0 entail for application developers and end-users who are looking to upgrade their software?
Research In Motion: The 5.0 version of the BlackBerry operating system is our latest and greatest OS and it includes some great usability enhancements and a new improved browser that renders more quickly and faithfully compared with any prior version of the BlackBerry browser. It does not yet include WebKit, but we have publicly announced that we will be adding WebKit to the platform next year. We have also acquired Torch Mobile which is one of the four key contributors to WebKit. So we're very excited about having the talent and knowledge base onboard. OS 5.0 will be made available for a number of devices including the Storm 2 and Bold 9700.
One of the features which BlackBerry users have been asking for is the ability to install applications on the memory card instead of the device memory. Are there plans to introduce this feature and when?
It certainly is something which we're very actively looking at as we see more and more applications and users wanting to do more. We can already archive applications onto the SD card, so this is something which we're looking toward for next year as we continue to introduce additional capabilities for greater memory management.
We haven't yet committed to any specific model. As to how we will be doing that, it could be storing applications on the SD card or providing other options, but this is definitely something we are very actively working on. It's a good problem to have because it means users want to have more applications. But there are many other things that we've started to do in App World. We backup the application list so if you remove an application, you can download it again at a later time. We may introduce the ability to install from an SD card, but there are different ways to solve that same problem."
The GUI builder which has been integrated into the Java plugin for Eclipse is meant to simplify user interface design. But for the average consumers, the number of settings on a BlackBerry smartphone can be a little overwhelming especially for first-time users. So would it be possible to hide certain settings which are not critical and have custom setup themes for different types of users?
That's exactly one of the capabilities you get with the Theme Builder. An application developer or hobbyist can download the Theme Builder and create custom themes and menu experience for the BlackBerry device. We actually see a lot of people doing that. Themes are incredibly popular on BlackBerry and we have a number of partners that have developed hundreds of themes that they currently monetize for the BlackBerry device.

BlackBerry App World

What has RIM learnt so far since the launch of the App World on April 1 this year and how do you expect things to develop moving forward? App World 1.1 or 2.0, perhaps?
We've certainly learnt something which we expected. That is, BlackBerry users very much want applications. We've seen a lot of great usage of the App World and it's been very successful for many applications. We also see many passionate users. A lot of people are posting reviews and recommending apps to their friends.
I think the biggest thing which we talked about on Monday is simplifying the billing process as well as the ability for developers to integrate commerce into their applications which is beneficial to both the users and developers. We initially launched App World with PayPal as a billing engine. But we're also excited about introducing carrier billing integration next year to really make it easy for a customer to purchase an application, subscribe to a monthly service and have it added to their monthly cell phone bill rather than having to use a personal PayPal or credit card account.
When can we expect paid applications to be available in Asia?
That's the plan for next year and a big part of the work we're doing with carrier billing integration. We know it's difficult to offer different payment methods in different countries around the world, not to mention the different taxation challenges. But the one common thing around the world is the carrier billing integration. As we work toward that next year, that would make it much easier for us to offer paid content and application in those markets without introducing many other personal billing models. At this point, we don't have any specific timeline, but we're going to bring it there.
Are there any compatibility issues for BlackBerry devices running on different operating system versions when using App World? Are there features that are enabled on the OS 5.0, but not on the earlier versions?
When a user is using BlackBerry App World, we only present them with a list of applications that are specific to their devices or OS version. So if you're using a Curve running 4.5, you'll only see applications that developers have selected to make available for that hardware and OS version. So you may see a different set of applications on a Storm. We do initial filtering to make sure you are only seeing the relevant applications, but the core features of the App World are consistent.
There are already a number of location-aware applications, but one of the main concerns users have raised is the issue of privacy. What is RIM doing to address that?
The important thing to note with BlackBerry devices is that users have complete control over the location capability of their device. It's something they can always choose to switch off. In some cases, you can use the device to locate cell tower and through that process create a database of cell tower location. All of that is completely anonymous. So there is absolutely no way to trace back to a specific user using the geo-location database information that was created around the cell towers.
What's the next game-changing application?
Location has an incredibly important capability, but I think it is going to be mashed up with other basic services. If you take location along with the knowledge of the user's appointment book (calendar) and where the next appointment is, the device can become smart enough to propose nearby restaurants depending on where you are and assist you in making a reservation.

BlackBerry Web browser

Can you elaborate on the developments of the WebKit browser? When exactly will this be available?
I think we've made some marked improvements. The browser that I have on this device is substantially and noticeably faster. Rendering quality is vastly improved and so what we anticipate with WebKit is really just to take that to the next level and to have 100 percent accurate rendering and continual improvement in rendering speed.
It's something which we have taken very seriously and we can't get much more serious than acquiring a company that's a core contributor to it. It is something that we have our best engineers engaged in and we will be bringing it out as fast as humanly can, but I'm not able to give a more specific date.

Games

Now that support for OpenGL ES is available, does that mean we'll see more games and perhaps also other multimedia such as music on the BlackBerry App World?
Absolutely. I think gaming is very important for us. Today, we see a very healthy and large number of games and many more being added frequently. The challenge in countries which offer only free applications is that there's a much smaller set of games whereas we have hundreds and hundreds of games in the catalog for countries which offer paid apps.
What we are looking forward to is more advanced games using OpenGL ES for much richer 3D graphics. And we have a number of partners such as Electronic Arts and Sega whom we will be working with to deliver the next-generation games.
Which devices will be able to take advantage of OpenGL ES? Are there any minimal technical requirements and what about current BlackBerry models that are in the market?
OpenGL ES is specific to both the software and hardware because it requires certain graphics processing. Initially, it'll be on the Storm 2 and Curve 8530 which are our CDMA models offered by Verizon and Sprint in the US. So it'll be on those handsets with OS 5.0. For in-market devices, unfortunately, it's just an OS 5.0 software upgrade as they won't meet the hardware requirements for the graphics processing. We'll be introducing OpenGL ES in future handsets.
What kind of games can users expect now that the Storm 2 and future devices will support OpenGL ES?
I think you're going to see a lot of rich, action games you typically see on gaming consoles. The benefit of supporting OpenGL ES platform is that the console game developers will now be able to easily port and reuse the same codes when bringing games to a BlackBerry device. Typically for OpenGL ES, you get higher energy games, rich graphics and visuals.
Do you see BlackBerry smartphones eventually becoming portable gaming consoles?
That's already the case today. We have a number of games that are currently being distributed on App World. Games are an incredibly popular category in App World and I think that's just going to grow even more so with support for OpenGL ES.