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PlayBook OS 2.0 leak lacks BES/BIS support

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Blackberry Enterprise and Internet services missing in leaked QNX 2.0 images

Blackberry’s PlayBook tablet has been widely criticized for its lack of native email support, and QNX 2.0 is supposed to be the light at the end of the tunnel. Now it looks as if the next version of the tablet’s OS will indeed offer email support, but in return certain integral Blackberry components may not be included.

As displayed by screenshots leaked by MaxPDA, the upcoming edition of QNX adds Exchange ActiveSync, IMAP, POP, CalDav, and CardDav email support but also removes support for Blackberry Enterprise Server (BES) and Blackberry Internet Service (BIS). The pair of Blackberry services have long been key selling points for RIM devices, but were missing from the leaked images of the PlayBook's settings. This news is surprising, but does fall in line with what has been previously heard about the upcoming QNX-sporting Blackberry Colt smartphone and its incompatibility with Blackberry services.

On the other hand, QNX 2.0 might also be adding some interesting features, as one of the screenshots shows a suspicious looking Android icon that could be the much awaited Android App Player. Announced back in March, the Android application emulator has been in the works for quite some time, and last month's leaked beta version could mean that a release is soon.

While the current evidence probably wouldn’t hold up in a court of law, it does add some suspense to the upcoming QNX release and gives PlayBook users something to look forward to. Make sure to check out the images in the links below, and we’ll certainly keep our ears open for any new developments.

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Omar Qudsi, 2011-08-26 (Update: 2012-05-26)