14 DAY TRIAL // A new version of Facebook for BlackBerry application was made available for download recently, with a nice range of enhancements and new features added into the mix.
The new Facebook for BlackBerry v2.0 is available only in a beta flavor at the moment, and has been released through the BlackBerry Beta Zone.
The development team behind this application notes that they have been hard at work with the inclusion of features and improvements that users have been requesting, and that the new release brings a new interface, as well as Facebook Chat.
“The Facebook app team here at Research In Motion (RIM) has been working hard to incorporate the feedback we have received from our users to make v2.0 the biggest update to the Facebook application since we released v1.0 more than three years ago.
The latest release of Facebook for BlackBerry comes with a New Profile UI, which would offer users the possibility to access Wall, Info, and Photo tabs so that they would benefit from an enhanced browsing experience.
Facebook for BlackBerry 2.0 also comes with the option to view key information on Profiles and Pages, including contact info, basic info such as birthdays, hometown and relationship status, as well as other details, including likes and interests.
Some of the main features that the new release comes with would include:
Facebook Chat You can now check to see which of your Facebook friends are online and start a Chat conversation from within the Facebook application or within the unified mailbox on your BlackBerry smartphone.
Improved News Feed
Improved News Feed interactions enable you to scroll through your News Feed without accidentally clicking ‘Like’; you can simply click the ‘More’ button (+) to interact with your friends’ posts.
New Navigation Control
By introducing a whole new way to navigate the Facebook for BlackBerry smartphones application, we’ve moved from a static navigation bar to a drop-down navigation control that is scalable to support new features in the future.
Notifications Bar
Borrowing from the BlackBerry 6 OS’ “Today View”, the notifications bar offers an easy way to access your Facebook Notifications, Messages, Friend Requests and Chats from anywhere in the Facebook application.
External Notifications
The BlackBerry smartphone external notifications header lets you see when you’ve received a new email message or BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) message without having to leave the Facebook application.
Some other changes that the new version of Facebook for BlackBerry smartphones brings would include the fact that, when the status is set for online, a user would still receive notifications, even when not using the applications.
Moreover, the development team enhanced the News Feed with the option to post photos to the Wall, add updates, or even check in to a Facebook Place.
Facebook for BlackBerry smartphones v2.0 is available for download via the BlackBerry Beta Zone, though it is only an early preview, and only a limited number of people would have access to it.
The new release is compatible only with handsets running under BlackBerry 6, but the development team plans on adding support for BlackBerry Device Software 4.6 and higher in future releases, before the final flavor would be released.
