Which BlackBerry devices will get OS 5.0?

by The PocketBerry Team

26 October 2009 5 Comments

Curious as to whether or not your BlackBerry will be getting an OS 5.0 update? The lucky chosen list was found on the official BlackBerry site under Support & Services. There will be some disappoints for some as your device may not appear here. Many of us were thrown off seeing that the BlackBerry Curve 8330 was getting OS 5.0 leaks, which hinted that other 83xx series could get the OS as well, but in reality we were wrong. It looks like the only Curve devices getting OS 5.0 are the 8330, 8350i, and 8900. The 81xx Pearl series is getting phased out it looks like, as we should be introduced the 91xx series devices as soon as early next year. Continue reading to check out the full list of OS 5.0 compatible devices.

BlackBerry® Pearl™ Flip 8200 series smartphones
BlackBerry® Curve™ 8330 smartphones
BlackBerry® Curve™ 8350i smartphones
BlackBerry® Curve™ 8900 smartphones
BlackBerry® Bold™ 9000 smartphones
BlackBerry® Storm™ 9500 series smartphones
BlackBerry® Tour™ 9630 smartphones

UPDATE: RIM has posted all the new revisions, updates, and new features in OS 5.0. We got the whole full scoop for you below:

Flag for Follow up

Using BlackBerry Device Software version 5.0, any email messages that are flagged for follow up on the email application on the computer will have that information reconciled with the email message item on the BlackBerry smartphone and shown next to the subject in the Messages application as shown in the image below. This includes any customizations to the flag such as reminder information, or the type of follow up required (for example, For Your Information or Call) as shown in the image below.

From the BlackBerry smartphone you can set and clear the flag and customize the flag properties using the options described above and shown in the images below.

Note: If the email application on the computer that you are using does not support flag colors, it assigns a color category to the email message on the email application.

Mail Folder Management

Using BlackBerry Device Software version 5.0 and BlackBerry Enterprise Server version 5.0 provides the ability to add, rename, move, or delete folders as shown in the image below. The changes are reconciled to the email application on the computer.

Note: This functionality is available while filing an email message or while viewing a folder from the Messages application on the BlackBerry smartphone, but it is not available within Folder Redirection settings.

Sticky Dates

When scrolling through the message list, the current date that email messages were sent or received on is always displayed at the top of the Messages application. This behavior is shown in the image below while scrolling down the message list in the Messages application.

Auto Correct / Word Completion

A feature previously only available on BlackBerry smartphones that use SureType® technology; Auto Correct/Word Completion is now available in BlackBerry Device Software version 5.0 for QWERTY based smartphones, and is shown in the image below on a QWERTY SurePress™ keyboard for illustration.

Main Messages Icon Settings/Dedicated Desktop Messages Icon

Within Messages > Options on the BlackBerry smartphone, a new option named Main Message List Settings is available. This new option provides the following features:

You can select which message services show up with the Messages application on the BlackBerry smartphone (for example, Desktop, or BlackBerry Internet Service email accounts)
By default, the Desktop email service has a dedicated icon that will only display messages received from the BlackBerry Enterprise Server.
You can also specify whether or not you want SMS and MMS messages to show in the Messages application on the BlackBerry smartphone.

These options are shown in the image below.

Note: PIN messaging, Instant Messaging, and any other applications that use the Messages application still function the same as they do currently, and cannot be configured in a similar manner.

Personal Information Management Features – Calendar

Viewing Attachments within a Meeting Invite

The ability to view attachments included within a calendar appointment is available using BlackBerry Device Software version 5.0. You are able to view the attachments from either a meeting invitation or from within the calendar item as shown in the image below.

Forwarding Appointments

Using BlackBerry Device Software version 5.0 and BlackBerry Enterprise Server version 5.0 for Microsoft® Exchange you can forward a calendar appointment or meeting invitation to another user. A forwarded meeting displays Meeting Forward in the meeting request title bar as shown in the image below.

Delegating Appointments

Using BlackBerry Device Software version 5.0 and BlackBerry Enterprise Server version 5.0 for IBM® Lotus® Domino®, you can delegate a calendar appointment or meeting invitation to another user.

The meeting organizer can see if a user on the original meeting invitation has delegated the calendar item to another user, but will not have the ability to see who the meeting was delegated to. An example of a delegated meeting request and the appointment details (as viewed by the organizer) is shown in the image below.

Personal Information Management Features – Contacts

Synchronization of Distribution Lists

Distribution lists or Groups within the email application on your computer synchronize to the BlackBerry smartphone using BlackBerry Device Software version 5.0. This type of grouping cannot be merged with the Group function within the Contacts application on the BlackBerry smartphone. The different types of groups are shown in the image below. The members of the distribution list or group from the desktop email client cannot be viewed on the BlackBerry smartphone.

Synchronization of Multiple Contact Folders or Address Books

Multiple Contact Folders or Address Books can be configured for synchronization to the BlackBerry smartphone with BlackBerry Device Software version 5.0. See KB18080 for more information on using this feature.

Multimedia Features

Media Folder

Using BlackBerry Device Software version 5.0, the different functions of the Media application are now contained within a Media folder and each media application has its own application icon as shown in the image below.

Note: The applications in the Media folder by default are Music, Videos, Ring Tones, Pictures, Voice Notes, Video Camera, and Voice Notes Recorder. The camera application is located on the Home screen of the BlackBerry smartphone by default.

Volume Overlay

Volume overlay will display volume indicator over top of any application if the volume level is adjusted. Depending on what output is currently selected for the media being played the icon will change to indicate what level is being adjusted. An example of the volume overlay on the home screen is shown below for reference.

Highlight Currently Playing Media

	This icon will be present to the right of the currently playing song when viewing a play list within the Music application.
	This icon will be present to the right of the currently playing video when viewing a play list within the Videos application.

Support for Play Button on Bluetooth/A2DP peripherals

When paired with a Bluetooth® A2DP compatible peripheral, pressing the play button on the peripheral launches the Music application on the BlackBerry smartphone automatically and begins playing all music in shuffled order.

Media Memory Management

From within the new Media folder, described above, a new menu option named Memory Use is available which visually represents all available memory on the BlackBerry smartphone. This new feature also allows you to see where memory is allocated based upon where items are stored within the file folder structure of the memory on the BlackBerry smartphone by clicking the Details button (as shown in the images below).

Consolidated Send / Share Menu Option

Using BlackBerry Device Software version 5.0, the individual options to send media items to Email, SMS, or MMS have been consolidated into a single menu item that expands to all other options available. An example of this is shown below:

Photo Resize when Sending or Sharing

When sending a photo or picture you are presented with a list of options that resize the image before it is sent to its destination. The available options are shown in the image below:

Photo Full Screen Preview

When taking a picture with the Camera application in Full Screen mode, the preview present after taking the picture is now also presented in full screen.

Support for Auto Focus Modes

Within the Options menu of the Camera application, BlackBerry smartphones that support auto focus have the following options available for auto focus:

Off
Normal (Default)
Close-Up

Improved Picture Library

From the Pictures application all pictures stored within any available memory on the BlackBerry smartphone are displayed by default. Within the Options menu item in the Pictures application, the option to exclude any folders within available memory sources from displaying pictures can be configured as shown in the image below:

Support for Bluetooth 2.1 and Secure Simple Pairing

Bluetooth 2.1 support has been added to BlackBerry Device Software version 5.0 along with Secure Simple Pairing (SSP). SSP simplifies the pairing process in the following ways when used with compatible peripherals:

Peripherals without a screen or keyboard do not require a pairing key to be entered on BlackBerry smartphone
Peripherals with a keyboard generate a key on the BlackBerry smartphone to be entered on the peripheral
All other peripherals display a key on both the BlackBerry smartphone in the peripheral and prompt for confirmation that the keys match

Support for Metadata via Bluetooth AVRCP

For Bluetooth peripherals that support AVRCP and can display song data this information will be sent from the BlackBerry smartphone to the associated peripheral.

Security Features

Improved Security Options Menu

The Security Options menu within Options has been simplified to provide easier access to the settings. The new menu structure and the items contained within the Advanced Security Options are shown in the image below.

Note: The Information option contains IT Policy and Services information along with Message Outline Color settings.

Improved Security Wipe Screen

As shown in the feature above, Security Wipe has a dedicated option within the Security Options menu. The wipe options are now configurable and you can opt to wipe additional items from the MicroSD card on the BlackBerry smartphone as shown in the image below.

Content Protection renamed to Encryption

The Encryption menu option in the new Security Options menu replaces the menu item that was previously named Content Protection.

MicroSD Smart Card support

The use of MicroSD smart cards for two-factor device authentication, S/MIME key management, and other third-party applications is now supported. A MicroSD smart card is a standard mass storage card with a smart card implementation within it for enhanced security. This smart card secure element removes the need for a secondary device to act as a smart card reader since the MicroSD card slot acts as the interface between the smart card and the BlackBerry smartphone.

Improved Firewall PIN Message Blocking

Using BlackBerry Device Software version 5.0, the Firewall screen within Security options separates out Corporate PIN messages from Public PIN messages as shown in the image below:

Improved Lock Screen for Emergency Calls

With this new feature you can dial an emergency number defined by your wireless service provider without having to unlock the BlackBerry smartphone. When you populate the appropriate number an overlay confirming that you want to start the emergency call is displayed (as shown below).

Browser Features

Improved Web Page Rendering with AJAX support

The following browser standards are now implemented in the BlackBerry Browser using BlackBerry Device Software version 5.0:

JavaScript 1.6
CSS 2.1 (including Lists, Box Model, Positioning, Floats, Visual Effects, Tables, Colors, Backgrounds, & Text Properties; not including system fonts and generated content)
CSS 3 (partial support including Namespaces, Selectors, Color, Marquee, and Media Queries)
DOM L2 (including Core, HTML, Style, Events)
HTML 4.01 (including Forms, Maps, Tables, Frames, Objects)
HTML 5.0 parsing and forms
XMLHttpRequest
SVG Tiny 1.1
XML-stylesheet processing instruction

Gears Support

The following Gears API components are supported with the BlackBerry Browser using BlackBerry Device Software version 5.0:

Factory
Blob
Database
Desktop
Geolocation
HttpRequest
Timer
WorkerPool

Native/Core Application Features

Improved Application Listing within Options

The list of applications in Options > Applications on the BlackBerry smartphone has a new user interface that allows you to display any applications that are considered Core, Add-on or Third Party and search by the application name as shown in the image below.

Application Install Location

From the Home Screen Options, BlackBerry Device Software version 5.0 provides the option to specify the folder where downloaded applications are placed. The default location is the Downloads folder unless the developer has specified a different location as noted in the Configure Application Download Folder feature below.

Note: This feature is available in BlackBerry Device Software version 4.7 and 4.7.1.

Applications Memory Management

When the BlackBerry smartphone begins to run low on available memory, a dialog box appears that prompts the user to remove applications that are not used often. This dialog includes a list of applications that can be removed and provides the option to select the applications for removal.

Precision – Today Theme

A theme that provides a summary of items for the current day and based on the Precision theme is now available with BlackBerry Device Software version 5.0. A sample of this theme is shown below:

Configure Application Download Folder

With BlackBerry Device Software version 5.0 a developer of a 3rd-party application can chose which folder on the BlackBerry smartphone that they wish to have their application appear in. As noted above if no folder is specified the Downloads folder is the default location for any downloaded 3rd-party application.

Native or Device Application Controls

Native or Device Application Controls allow a BlackBerry Enterprise Server administrator to configure application specific options that are currently not controlled by an IT Policy, and opt to hide the options for these settings. Please see KB17712 for more information on configuring these settings on the BlackBerry Enterprise Server. Some examples of these controls are listed below:

Initial calendar view – Allows you to control the display method the calendar application uses on the BlackBerry smartphone. The default value is ‘Day’.

Initial calendar view – attributes – Provides control over whether or not the above item can be changed, hidden, or visible but locked down. The default value is ‘Editable and Visible’.

Press and Hold Menu Key for Application Switcher and Double-Click Menu Key for Default Action

With BlackBerry Device Software version 5.0 if you press and hold the Menu Key the Application Switcher will appear and allow you to easily switch between applications. If you double-click the Menu key while in an application the default action will be invoked. (ex. If you are composing an email and you double-click the Menu key the email will be sent.)

Note: These features are available in BlackBerry Device Software version 4.7 and 4.7.1.

Setup Features

Improved Setup Wizard

The improved Setup Wizard available in previous versions of BlackBerry Device Software is now available on all BlackBerry smartphones that support BlackBerry Device Software version 5.0.

Improved Email Settings

An improved email settings wizard is included with BlackBerry Device Software version 5.0 that works with the BlackBerry® Internet Service. The application provides an improved user interface for integrating email accounts and configuring settings for email accounts that are integrated with the BlackBerry Internet Service. See the following knowledge base articles for more information on this feature:

KB16382 – Setting up filters for an email account
KB16384 – Deleting an email account
KB16383 – Resending service books for an email account
KB18258 – How to create a user name and password for your BlackBerry Internet Service account
KB16385 – Editing email account settings

Maps Features

Improved Search Usability

When searching for a location, as you type, all of the information sources on the BlackBerry smartphone (for example, cached results, favourites, or contacts) are displayed beneath your search query. If these results are not what you are looking for, you can still submit a wireless request to search.

Photo Geotagging Layer within BlackBerry® Maps

Using BlackBerry® Maps in BlackBerry Device Software version 5.0, adds an additional layer that takes any pictures stored on the BlackBerry smartphone with geotagging information and overlays these pictures on the existing map display as shown in the image below.

Other Features

Notification Indicators on Folders

Using BlackBerry Device Software version 5.0, any folders that contain applications that put a notification on the home screen of the BlackBerry smartphone show an indicator on the folder of the application. For example, in the image below BlackBerry® Messenger has a new notification present that is shown on both the top of the home screen and on the Instant Messaging folder where the BlackBerry Messenger application resides.

Enhanced SMS Interface

The Short Message Service (SMS) interface within BlackBerry Device Software version 5.0 has an improved user interface with a chat-like display similar to the instant messaging style used in BlackBerry Messenger. An example of the improved user interface is shown below.

Boot Progress Indicator

When powering on the BlackBerry smartphone an indication of the progress of starting or booting the BlackBerry smartphone is shown with a progress indicator as shown in the image below.

Time zone change detection

When connecting to the wireless service providers network for the first time or when travelling and roaming on a different wireless service providers network for the first time, a prompt appears that allows you to update the time zone on the BlackBerry smartphone to match your wireless service providers time zone (as shown in the image below). This feature can be configured within Options > Date/Time to be turned on or off manually or by default, allowed to prompt automatically.

Note: This feature works independently of the Use Network Time setting within Options > Date/Time.

Remote File Exploring

BlackBerry Device Software version 5.0 adds a new application within the Applications folder named Files. This application makes it possible for a BlackBerry smartphone user to access Server Message Block (SMB) based Windows network shares.

For more information on configuring access to network file shares please see the section entitled “Setting up access to documents on remote file systems” in the BlackBerry Enterprise Server 5.0 Administration Guide.

Event Sounds

The event sounds is a new accessibility feature. When this option is turned on from Options > Accessibility, the BlackBerry smartphone plays an audible alert for each of the following actions: