BlackBerry OS is a proprietary mobile operating system developed by Canadian company BlackBerry Limited for its BlackBerry line of smartphonehandheld devices. The operating system provides multitasking and supports specialized input devices that have been adopted by BlackBerry for use in its handhelds, particularly the trackwheel, trackball, and most recently, the trackpad and touchscreen. The BlackBerry platform natively supports corporate email, through Java Micro EditionMIDP 1.0 and, more recently, a subset of MIDP 2.0, which allows complete wireless activation and synchronization with Microsoft Exchange, Lotus Domino, or Novell GroupWise email, calendar, tasks, notes and contacts, when used with BlackBerry Enterprise Server. The operating system also supports WAP 1.2. Updates to the operating system may be automatically available from wireless carriers that support the BlackBerry over the air software loading service. Third-party developers can write software using the available BlackBerry API classes, although applications that make use of certain functionality must be digitally signed. Research from June 2011, indicated that approximately 45% of mobile developers were using the platform at the time of publication. BlackBerry OS was discontinued after the release of BlackBerry 10 in January 2013, however support for the older OS continued until the end of 2013.
Release history
4
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5.0
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6.0
In April 2010, RIM announced the BlackBerry OS 6.0 version, which was released in the third quarter of 2010. This version included a new WebKit-based browser. !style="background:silver; white-space:nowrap;"|
7.0
BlackBerry OS 7 featured various performance improvements, a "significantly enhanced" web browser, voice-activated search, and "BlackBerry Balance"—a feature allowing personal and work-related content to be separated from each other on a single device. The version launched exclusively on new BlackBerry models concurrently announced, including the Bold 9900 and 9930, and Torch 9810 and 9860, among others, with RIM stating that it would not release updates for existing devices. !style="background:silver; white-space:nowrap;"|
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BlackBerry 9720
The BlackBerry 9720 runs a version of BlackBerry OS 7.1 with updates to the user interface that mimics the BlackBerry 10, this includes a new lock screen, redesigned Application Switcher, Music, Pictures, Videos and Phone apps.
Availability
While BlackBerry Limited develops and releases updated versions of its operating system to support each device, it is up to the individual carriers to decide if and when a version is released to its users.
Discontinued
Still sold
BlackBerry fonts
The following is a list of fonts that were included in some versions of BlackBerry :
