Research in Motion (RIM) has confirmed that a major software update will be coming to the Blackberry Playbook on May 3rd, bringing with it some of the important features missing from the device currently.
Blackberry Messenger (or BBM) will now work on the Playbook via Blackberry Bridge, which means you’ll need to pair a Blackberry mobile phone with the tablet first for it to work. Still, it’s a step in the right direction.
A dedicated Video Chat app will be delivered to the Playbook as a part of the update, allowing users to make Video Calls using the unique Blackberry ID system via Wi-Fi. The update will also bring a dedicated Facebook app to the Playbook, making it the first tablet device with its own dedicated app for the social networking site.
As with all software updates, there will also be a host of bug fixes and performance improvements included with this one. The update will be carried out OTA (over-the-air), so you’ll just need to have your Playbook connected to Wi-Fi and you should get an update notification on May 3rd.
Of course, the Playbook is currently only available in the US and Canada, and as yet the UK hasn’t been treated to a release date. We’ll be sure to bring you news of the official release date for the UK as soon as we hear it.
Update: It seems customers are already getting the update. If you haven’t got your update notification yet, you can force the Playbook to search for an update by going into Settings > Software Update on the device.#
The dedicated Facebook App has also gone live in the Playbook’s App World, check it out!
Will you be getting your hands on a Blackberry Playbook as soon as they come to the UK? Let us know your thoughts on RIM’s tablet via Twitter or by leaving a comment.