Showing off Blackberry 6, smartphone manufacturer RIM indicated it was its forthcoming overhaul to the BlackBerry operating system. In order to keep up with Apple and Google, RIM needs to revise user interface and new features that have set the pace for mobile innovation. While, BlackBerry 6 looks are pleasant enough to please most people, it has not revised enough to make everyone happy.

Some of Blackberry 6’s new features include a re-designed home screen, universal search and context sensitive menus, with improved notifications being amongst its most notable improvements. New emails, missed calls / voicemails and upcoming calendar entries are clearly displayed, the email application appears to have better multimedia support, such as embedded photos.

The new universal search tool allows users a quick search of the contents of their phone, while Social Feed, another new application collects news and social networking updates, integrating information from social networking sites into one coherent stream.

Blackberries long in need of a revised web browser, now have a brand new BlackBerry 6 Browser based on Apple’s WebKit technology, its most exciting change that offers support for pinch/zoom, BlackBerry Messenger, an integrated RSS reader, and an enhanced media interface. It is to be hoped the new browser will work in devices running older versions of the BlackBerry OS.

Other welcome additions, such as, the context sensitive pop-up menus has menus appearing whenever you wish to do something like responding to an email or saving a photo.

Having been through a thorough over-hauling, the multimedia applications’ make the music player with its richer icons and graphics look like it will be much better to interact with.

The new Blackberry 6 also allows for seamless switching of tasks, such as, switching from other tasks to take and accept a call, then returning to the earlier tasks, once again.

It is also obvious the user interface has been built to support touch devices, with the on-screen software QWERTY keyboard different from what is available on the more appealing.

And while, RIM has said nothing about the launch date for BlackBerry 6, one can expect it to be no later than 30th September.