The closer BlackBerry 6 gets to release, the more it appears a direct response to the kind of features iOS users have become used to over the past couple of years.

The focus is very much on increasing the platform's usability, with RIM taking a particular interest in upping the features and integration of the OS' multimedia elements.

Via a post made on the official BlackBerry blog, the firm has highlighted seven key areas where it believes the OS makes notable improvements over previous editions.

Picture perfect

While BlackBerry 6 is set to continue the tradition of allowing handsets to sync with iTunes and Windows Media Player - and the OS now finds and displays album art on the music player's carousel - it's the improvements made to BlackBerry's picture and video settings that appears key.

As such, BlackBerry 6 will now allow users to sort their photos by event or date – almost in Facebook fashion – with pinch-to-zoom viewing now available.

The camera itself comes with face detection and a range of modes – sports or party, for instance – to tailor the shot to the occasion.

When it comes to shooting video, YouTube appears to be the focus, with the site's app directly integrated.

 

Users who click on the app will be asked whether they want to watch videos on the site or upload their own content directly from the handset – the kind of set-up other smartphone platforms have enabled.

Taking on the App World

Perhaps the greatest leap, however, is BlackBerry 6's attempts to break down its marketplace.

Users will be able to search for music, picture or video apps via a separate tabs, with the OS delivering multimedia apps directly to the handset without having to navigate through BlackBerry App World.

Podcasts have similarly been broken down, a specific app allowing users to subscribe to set podcasts from the phone itself.

"Our team has been working hard to enhance the overall multimedia experience in BlackBerry 6, and we've packed a lot of changes into the upcoming release," says BlackBerry product manager Vikram. 

"The multimedia team focused on delivering an intuitive multimedia experience right out of the box – so whether you are a power user or new to mobile multimedia on BlackBerry smartphones, you can easily find and use the enhanced multimedia features."

You can read more about the new features in BlackBerry 6 over on Inside BlackBerry.