Top 10: New features and improvements in BlackBerry 10

New Delhi: A new generation of more versatile BlackBerry smartphones is finally about to hit the market after excruciating delays. In a move underscoring the stakes riding on its make-or-break product line-up, Research In Motion used the occasion to announce it is changing its name to BlackBerry.

The first devices in the new crop of BlackBerrys will be called the Q10, which will feature a physical keyboard like previous versions of the phone, and the Z10 will have only touch-screen keyboard.

The Z10 and the Q10 will run on a redesigned operating system called BlackBerry 10, which the company began working on after buying QNX Software Systems in 2010. The new software and BlackBerrys were supposed to be released a year ago.

Here the the top 10 new features and improvements in BlackBerry 10 OS

1. BlackBerry Hub: This is a single place to manage all your conversations whether personal or work email, BBM messages, social media updates or notifications. BlackBerry has added the ability to 'peek' into the BlackBerry Hub from anywhere with only a swipe.

2. BlackBerry Flow: This brings together features from different apps. For example, you can tap on an attendee listed for a meeting to see their latest tweet or LinkedIn profile or tap the thumbnail of a picture you just took to launch the Picture editor and apply a transformation or filter, then share it with your contacts.

3. BlackBerry keyboard: The keyboard, BlackBerry says will enable you to type faster and more accurately.

4. BBM (BlackBerry Messenger): BBM in BlackBerry 10 includes voice calling and video chat, and introduces the ability to share your screen with another BlackBerry 10 contact.

5. BlackBerry Balance: This separates and secures work applications and data from personal content on BlackBerry devices.

6. Time Shift: A camera feature that lets you capture a group shot where everyone is smiling with their eyes wide open.

7. Story Maker: This brings a collection of photos and videos together, along with music and effects, to produce an HD movie.

8. BlackBerry 10 browser: The new browser includes HTML5 support. The browser includes multiple tabs, lets you browse sites privately, includes a reader mode.

9. BlackBerry Remember: Combines memos, tasks and more into a single experience. It helps you organise and manage information you have on your smartphone around projects or ideas, letting you collect content such as websites, emails, photos, documents, and other files, and then like a To-Do list, lets you create tasks, assign due dates, and track your progress.

10. BlackBerry World: The BlackBerry app store includes 70,000 BlackBerry 10 apps and also includes music and video catalogues.