RIM recently announced that BlackBerry 1.9 is available for download in the BlackBerry Beta Zone. RIM has cleaned up the interface and added some new features that will make your Facebook experience on the BlackBerry more like using Facebook on the Web.
New Features
There are plenty of new features in Facebook 1.9 that users have been waiting for. RIM has made some changes to the user interface that make the app easier to use, but also added more functionality into an already cramped space.
- Updated Navigation Bar Now you can easily access your Facebook Profile and Search Facebook right from the Navigation Bar.
- Dedicated Inbox Now your Facebook Inbox on your BlackBerry synchronizes with your Facebook Inbox on the Web. The read/unread status of messages will also be synchronized via push notifications, so you will always know which messages still need your attention. You still have the option to integrate your Facebook Inbox with your BlackBerry Messages inbox.
- Search The Facebook search function now allows you to search for both People and Pages. You can Like pages and add new friends right from the application. The Search function has also been integrated into the BlackBerry Unified Search framework, so matches from Facebook will also be included in your results when you search your BlackBerry.
- Friends The Friends list now displays thumbnail images of your friends' Profile pictures, which makes it easier to confirm that you're contacting the right Jason or Jennifer.
- Pages There is now a Pages tab on the Friends page, so you can see all of the Pages you have Liked in one place.
Where is Facebook Chat?
Version 2.0 of this App is practically upon us, but Facebook Chat still has not been added. The BlackBerry Blog says that RIM is working on adding Facebook Chat to a future version, but gave no indication whether it would be in the next version.