Facebook for BlackBerry 1.5 zips together contacts

With products like the Outlook add-on Xobni relying on Facebook to give Outlook contacts a Facebook face to go with the name, it was only a matter of time before a mobile app started doing the same.

(Credit: Research in Motion)

On Tuesday, RIM released the latest edition of Facebook for BlackBerry, version 1.5. In it, the BlackBerry-maker loads on new features to integrate your BlackBerry contact information with that contact's Facebook photo. If you choose, the app will update the existing photos in your BlackBerry contact list with your Facebook friends' profile photos, an association you can also create manually in Facebook, by clicking a friend's name. From that screen, you can request a friend's phone number, and view their BlackBerry contact information.

Your friend's photo shows up in the address book along with their Facebook name. You'll still be able to click their number to call, or to utilize a shortcut to poke a buddy or open Facebook for you to draft a personal message or wall note. In addition, the new Facebook for BlackBerry will also plot birthdays and events onto your BlackBerry calendar.

RIM has also integrated messages and status updates into the BlackBerry. Conversations will now show up as an IM thread in the application, and as a message in your phone's message list. We tried it out with a direct message, and minutes later the message showed up in our Message in-box, along with a cursor blinking in a blank field to facilitate a quick reply.

RIM tells us in a press release that the latest update adds support for French, Italian German Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, Polish, Russian, Czech, Traditional/Simplified Chinese, Japanese and Korean.

Facebook for BlackBerry is available now from mobile.blackberry.com via the mobile browser or from www.blackberry.com/go/facebook from the desktop. If you can wait a day, downloading the app through the BlackBerry App World program on your phone (running version 4.2 of the operating system or higher) is the best way to get the app--if you change phones or accidentally delete the program, you'll be able to re-download it hassle-free.

[animal_weaver]

yipeee you found me .....usually on blackberry..using lap top at moment....love this site...

[animal_weaver]

goin to have to have this......but can i wait a couple of days....ill be brave and try....

[j-bar]

Just downloaded the new Facebook, it's not that exciting. Oh and just a tip, if you link your blackberry contacts with a facebook contact, it automatically sends a phone number request in facebook. Kind of iritating.

[animal_weaver]

do i need therapy.........i keep having nitemares that my blackberry bold'baby' i call it........runs off with an i_phone.....i of course know this could never happen..as he hasnt grown legs yet......

[alex-cnet]

Very notable update! Now Facebook is perfectly incorporated with the OS. My contacts have pictures and can be poked and messaged without having to navigate to the Facebook app. The Facebook picture seems to override the existing ones, but I only had one which I took when I first got the phone. Good job RIM, now get me the OS 5.0 I keep hearing about (no I don't want a leak).

[letsgethightech]

v1.5 is so much better! I was wondering if RIM forgot about updating the most common application that I use on my BlackBerry Storm -Facebook!

[bpmccullough]

Ive been using an iPhone app just like this called FriendSync for about a year. Its about time I can use it on my BB too.

[robertgagnon]

love your wireless news it has good stiff for my blackberry carve..

[lalaface]

i downloaded this app and synced my contacts and about three of them didn't sync...picture or anything. its kind of annoying and was wondering if anyone had a solution to this? if you do let me know
thanks!

[money-matters]

the facebook app for the Blackberry is actually pretty good, found people on facebook i didnt even know where on there... :)