BBM 6.0 has recently landed in the BlackBerry Beta Zone with a few subtle improvements. We had seen a glimpse of BlackBerry Messenger 6.0 sporting some new chat bubble colours, but it doesn’t look like it’s included in this particular build. They have updated the UI with new branding, and improved responsiveness, along with new options for viewing incoming SMS messages in BBM. There’s also a few changes in how you send calendar events, if you tend to use BBM for that sort of thing instead of e-mail. The biggest addition is the ability to share your GPS coordinates with a group – particularly handy when you’re trying to get everybody to get together for an event.
BBM is an instant messaging client specific to BlackBerry smartphones (though there are rumours of it making the jump to Android). Its main selling point is that you get sent, read, and typing notifications, features that third-party developers have been eager to emulate in their own cross-platform instant messaging clients. Of course, there’s added security and speed with BBM since everything is pumped through RIM’s servers in Waterloo, Ontario.
If there’s something in particular you would like to see in BBM 6.0, the BlackBerry Beta Zone has a new feature voting mechanism, along with all of the usual feedback venues. Head on over to sign up and try it out.