BlackBerry Messenger 7 Launched, Make Free Voice Calls

Call contacts for free over a WiFi connection.

Research In Motion has released BlackBerry Messenger 7, with the latest version of the service allowing users to text or talk with their BBM contacts.

The company integrated a new voice feature in the updated version of BBM, which allows users to execute free phone calls to BBM contacts through a local WiFi connection.

Users can start off the conversation by texting and then switch to a voice call if they should wish to do so. BlackBerry Messenger subscribers can also see when their BBM contacts are available for a voice call.

RIM launched the new BBM voice calling feature via the app's beta last month and noted it received a positive response from testers. 90 percent of those surveyed said they would utilize BBM Voice while traveling. BBM 7 also includes a split-screen feature to help manage multiple tasks such as texting, checking e-mail and making phone calls.

BlackBerry ID is also included; it backs up a user's BBM contacts, profiles and groups, which is then automatically restored when a new BlackBerry device is activated.

Currently, BlackBerry 7 supports smartphones running BlackBerry 6 or higher, with RIM saying support for BlackBerry 5 will come sometime during 2013.

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