BlackBerry 10.3.1 update released, bringing BlackBerry Assistant, BlackBerry Blend and more

As promised, BlackBerry 10.3.1 update has been released to all BlackBerry 10 devices around the world, including the BlackBerry Passport, BlackBerry Z30, BlackBerry Z10, BlackBerry Z3, BlackBerry Q10 and BlackBerry Q5. The update is also headed to the Porsche Design P'9982 and Porsche Design P'9983. Meanwhile the BlackBerry Classic doesn't need the update, as it comes with BlackBerry 10.3.1 out of the box.

BlackBerry 10.3.1 brings several new features and improvements to the platform, despite its minor version change. Firstly, you get the BlackBerry Assistant, a voice voice-activated personal assistant similar to Siri, Google Now and Cortana. You also get BlackBerry Blend, which lets you access the contents of your BlackBerry phone on a computer or tablet. This includes your documents, calendar, contacts and media. BlackBerry 10.3.1 also adds the Amazon Appstore giving BlackBerry users a place to find popular Android apps.

The update also brings the BlackBerry Hub with Instant Action. The BlackBerry Hub is where you organize all of your conversations including phone calls, BBM, email, text and social media. With Instant Actions, you get your Inbox in order without having to go through each individual message. For example, if you are composing an email, you can quickly change your mode of communication to a phone call, SMS or meeting invitation. With keyboard shortcuts, the BlackBerry 10 devices with physical keyboards are enhanced, where you can use every letter of your keyboard as a shortcut, to quickly navigate through your device.

Additionally, the update is expected to improve your battery life by 15% using the Power Savings profile. Here you will be able to determine which features will be turned off when your battery life hits a certain level, in order to stretch out your remaining battery life. When using the camera, your phone will now recommend certain features like HDR when sharp contrast is detected. You can now take video and still pictures at the same time. The most widely used features on your camera now come right to the forefront.

Other new features allow you to Favorite songs, video and photos so you can always have them at your fingertips. Videos can be viewed in slow motion, and the Story Maker lets you share your tale with the world. Meeting Mode silences your phone and puts it in Quiet Mode for the duration of your meeting. BBM Meetings lets you host, schedule or participate in a conference whenever you have a connection to the internet.

BlackBerry 10.3.1 is now rolling out in the U.S., Europe, Canada, the Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific and Latin America. After you play around with it for a while, let us know what you think of the latest BlackBerry 10 build by dropping your comments in the box below.

source - CrackBerry