First BB10 update brings major improvements in browser, battery life and third-party apps

BlackBerry 10 users, rejoice! The company has released the first update for its latest BlackBerry 10 OS that brings a slew of improvements. The update is available for all BlackBerry Z10 users and the device can get the update over-the-air.

The update brings the software version up to 10.0.10.85 and is only a 150MB download. Reportedly, the update boosts the smartphone performance, battery life, low-light camera capabilities etc. However, we can confirm that the update has not been rolled out to the Indian handsets. The company said the update was being rolled out in phases.
One major improvement through the update is the performance of third-party apps. This will help developers build apps that run fast and smooth on the Z10. The BlackBerry official changelog says, “With this update, you might want to keep an eye out for some fresh new app launches in March, like WhatsApp.”

Among the top improvements and features are fixes for Gmail calendars on BlackBerry 10. Users will also “find improvements in the BlackBerry Hub for logging calls log and how conversations are handled.” The update also brings general improvement when users import contacts from online sources

The camera app has been optimised to take better photos in low-light situations. Confusingly, the changelog says, “You’ll love the difference this makes for photos where you don’t use a flash.” We take this to believe the firmware has been updated and the image processor now absorbs a great deal more light by itself.

The update also brings improvements in the Browser app as well as the media playback capabilities. “We’ve made a number of improvements to the software in the way the browser handles video playback.”

Lastly, the BlackBerry team has included a number of battery life optimisations in the latest update. Reportedly, the software team has made over 60 battery saving improvements since the Z10 launch on January 30 to give users a longer lasting BB10 experience between charges. “These combined improvements are designed so that you see improvements in battery life and heavy users especially should see a longer average usage per charge cycle,” the changelog says.

Besides the Z10, the update will also be reflected in the other new BB10 device, the Q10, which is expected to hit markets next month.