BlackBerry Z10 gets first update

BlackBerry 10 has received its first update, bringing better battery life and app performance to the BlackBerry Z10.

BlackBerry said the new features – which includes optimising the camera for low light and tweaks to extend battery life – were the result of feedback from early adopters. “You’ve been using it for weeks, and we’ve been listening to your feedback, and have been working on an update just for you,” the company said.

The update includes “improved performance” for third-party applications, with BlackBerry suggesting that will lead to more apps for the platform. It also includes fixes for Gmail calendars – although it’s not entirely clear what was wrong – as well as improvements to how the messaging Hub logs calls.

The camera software has been updated to work better in low light, and the browser has seen “a number of improvements” to how it plays video.

“The software team has included a number of battery life optimisations with over 60 battery saving improvements since launch to keep you moving,” BlackBerry added. “These combined improvements are designed so that you see improvements in battery life and heavy users especially should see a longer average usage per charge cycle.”

“It’s already available from some carriers and we’re working closely with all our carrier partners to get it to you as soon as possible,” the company said in a blog post, adding the update will roll out globally within the next few weeks.

BlackBerry 10 users should get a notification automatically, but once it’s available, it can also be downloaded manually by going to Settings | Software Updates | Check for Updates.

BlackBerry has advised users to wait until they have a Wi-Fi connection to download the update, as it’s 150MB.