BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) has long been a key feature on BlackBerry mobile devices, but it's getting a significant new perk with the ability to chat with video.
BlackBerry — the company formerly known as Research In Motion (RIM) — announced on Wednesday video chat is coming to its messaging service. The functionality will be available on the new BlackBerry Z10 smartphone and limited to users running the BlackBerry 10 mobile operating system.
To use video chat, BlackBerry Messenger users will be able to tap an icon when video chat is available. A user will also be able to share what they're viewing onscreen with the person they're chatting with.
BlackBerry Z10 will also include BBM Voice, which allows users to make free voice calls over Wi-Fi. First launched in beta version in November, the feature lets customers switch between texting and talking or doing both at the same time via a split screen.