[adamschuetze]

Note: I was unable to insert all the images. There are still three images that need to be added to the article. I have added a "MISSING PIC" place holder where applicable, and the URL to download the image from my Dropbox repository.

My favorite 10.3 features

When I first loaded 10.3.0.296 onto my Q10, I immediately set out to discover all the new features I could. Besides the immediately obvious cosmetic changes, I also discovered a number of functional changes, many of which I use every single day.

While big feature roll-outs typically get all the press, I want to draw attention to some of nice design touches that have made their way into BlackBerry 10.3.0.296. These little touches make all the difference; they show that the developers and designers really care about the user experience. They deserve to be highlighted.

Double-finger swipe down from any app to load quick settings menu

So you’re reading some news, and you realize you want to turn on WIFI. Previously you’d need to swipe up from the bottom of the screen to send the active app into the active frame view, then swipe down from the top of the screen to load the quick settings. No more, friends! Simply “double-finger” swipe down from the top, in any app, and voila! There is the quick settings menu!



Select plain text or html email formats

I participate in numerous mailing lists. Typically email list administrators become very irate when you post html formatted messages. Now I can select plain text format in the hub when writing a reply, and I can finally stay active on mailing lists even when I’m away from my computer. Compose a new email, tap the overflow icon (three dots), and select Plain Text format. Bonus!




Transparent active frames show which apps were running before a device restart

When you restart your device, for example to change a battery, it is sometimes difficult to remember what you were doing before the change. Now the active frame area populates with transparent variants of the apps you were using before the restart. This is is a nice way to remind you of which apps you were using, and help you get back on track.



Quick access to still photograph and video record functions

So you fire up the camera app, and you want to shoot a video. Gone are the days when you’d need to tap the overflow icon, select “video camera”, and then start recording. Now you simply load up the camera and the still photograph and video record buttons are right there, displayed at the bottom of the camera app window!

As an added feature, you can tap the camera icon to take a still photograph while you are in the middle of recording a video. Handy!



Advanced Interaction

I discovered this feature completely by accident, and it is nifty. First go to system settings, and you'll see there is a new settings item! Scroll down to and tap Advanced Interaction.



Once you are there, you can toggle either or both of two new functions: flip the device face down to power save, and lift from face-down to wake the device.



Speed triage

This feature provides a speedy method to apply actions to emails, directly from the hub view. Of all the things I’ve discovered in 10.3.0.296, this gets the most use on my device, and I do hope that it is expanded in future releases to include more actions. Go into the hub, tap the overflow icon (three dots), then Settings, then Display and Actions, and scroll down to Speed Triage.

There are two email action fields, and you can map them to file an email, flag an email, or delete an email.



Back in the hub, tap the “three horizontal lines with check mark” icon in the top right corner:



The icon turns blue, and the email actions become visible as icons next to the messages in the hub they are applicable to. For this example, I have “file” and “flag” selected as Email Action 1 and Email Action 2. Simply tap the icon next to the message, and the hub applies the action to the message.




Delete message on device and/or server

Some prefer to keep a complete record of all correspondence on their BlackBerry. Others prefer to fully synchronize device and server. And even others prefer deciding on a case by case basis. Now everybody can have what they want, because BlackBerry has brought back this legacy OS feature.



Separate lock screen wallpaper

Although purely a cosmetic addition, it shows the developers are in touch with users’ desire to customize their device and make it a personalized reflection of themselves. In system settings, go to Security and Privacy, then Lock Screen.



Enable folder sync directly from the hub listing

Do you have an email folder you just added, and you forgot to toggle folder synchronize? Now you don’t have to dive into account settings to change it. Tap the “down arrow” at the top right corner of the hub next to the hub or current folder name, navigate to the folder you want to edit, select it, tap the overflow icon (three dots), and tap Enable FolderSync.



Option to show sender only, on lock screen notifications

I prefer my BlackBerry to be locked down tight. If I accidentally leave my device behind somewhere (mind you, when is it never in my hand or in my pocket...) or it is stolen, I do not want the person holding it to have access to anything on the device. So full lock screen notifications are definitely out. However, what if only the sender was shown? This is a nice compromise that might work for some users. In system settings, go to Security and Privacy, Lock Screen, and scroll down to the toggle shown below.

It is my hope that in future this feature will be expanded, so that when the device is not password locked (perhaps just screen timed out), the device will show full lock screen notifications, but when the device is password locked, the lock screen notifications will be restricted to sender only, or perhaps no lock screen notifications at all.

MISSING PIC
http://www.dropbox.com/s/lit1aoqkh74...ender_only.png

Toggle display of action bar icon labels

In a nod towards a clean user interface, you can now toggle the display of action bar icon labels. Go to system settings, Display, and scroll down to the Action Bar section. If the labels are turned off and you are unsure of an icon’s function, simply long press on the icon to display its label.

MISSING PIC
http://www.dropbox.com/s/ptrglhb759u...con_labels.png
Bottomless folders

No more decisions about which apps are going to be categorized in small folders. Now you can stuff as many app icons as you like into a folder. New pages are added inside the folder as required.

MISSING PIC
http://www.dropbox.com/s/bgqv4qtvfwb...ss_folders.png

Summary

So there you have it. Eleven small features in 10.3.0.296 that might otherwise be relegated to the margins of some design summary document. They deserve to be front and center, because it truly is the little touches that make all the difference in the user experience.

[anon721037]

Great write up,

[deezy87]

Well done, Adam!

[unclebanglin]

You don't have to hit the overflow button on 10.2... You just tap the camera up top right corner and can switch to video

Posted via CB10

[Bhupendra Warade]

Thank you for the post. I was holding out for the official update. But I guess after reading this I'm going to get busy and update my phone.

Rocking With the Z30