BlackBerry 6.0 coming in Q3; will it be enough?

Research In Motion (NASDAQ: RIMM) finally confirmed that it will introduce its long-anticipated BlackBerry OS 6.0 during the third quarter, and RIM co-CEO Mike Lazaridis touted it as the most significant BlackBerry software change in years, during this year's Wireless Enterprise Symposium event.

Lazaridis plugged enhancements including an improved WebKit-based browser, a customizable homescreen, a revamped media player and a more intuitive user experience. "We're trying to update the UI and fix the stuff that people wanted us to fix," he said, adding that BlackBerry OS 6.0 will extend to both trackpad and touchscreen devices.

The question now is: Will the new OS bring forth a device that receives top billing from operators and attract those mobile workers who are beginning to value mobile browsing as a key feature?

BlackBerry maintains a significant market share lead in the United States, but it has slowly been losing its luster. The advent of smartphones with rich browsing experiences and the fact that an increasing number of employees are bringing their own Active Sync-capable smartphones through the back door of the enterprise threatens to hit RIM right where it hurts. BlackBerry devices today offer a poor browsing experience, and the company's devices aren't the ones being brought through the back door in droves. More likely, they are still part of the old establishment of enterprise-sanctioned devices.  

It's been a little more than a year since BlackBerry App World launched, the storefront features about 6,000 applications, more than 100,000 apps behind Apple's rival App Store. RIM co-CEO Jim Balsillie argued Monday that application quantity is not as important as app quality, and said the firm is working with developers to make it easier to create software tailored to the BlackBerry user segment.

Many argue that a more user-friendly BlackBerry OS complete with an enhanced user interface is simply playing catch-up with the iPhone and Android devices. Maybe so, but what about users like myself? A few months ago, I ditched my BlackBerry Pearl for a Motorola Droid. The browsing experience of course is simply amazing compared with BlackBerry, but my email experience isn't. I have two email accounts that I want to access every day. Sometimes my email comes, and sometimes it doesn't (I don't use Active Sync). And it certainly doesn't come in real-time when it does come. I recently asked a Verizon rep about it. His solution: Just access your email on the web. That's time consuming given the fact that I have to go to two different websites. I want my email pushed to me in real time as elegantly as BlackBerry does it.

When it comes to my own uses, I feel like I've had to choose between a great email experience or a great browsing experience. If BlackBerry manages to offer both, I think it has a home run. - Lynnette