BBM 6 for BlackBerry OS7 launches next week

BlackBerry Messenger, or BBM, is one of the last few things RIM has been able to keep doing well relative to competitors like Apple and Google. In fact, Apple doesn't even have its own BBM, although it finally announced its own iteration to launch with iOS 5 this fall.

So news of a new BBM for the next-gen OS 7 is fairly big news for the ailing Waterloo company. With BlackBerry Bold Touch models floating around, an official release to the public is no doubt on the way, and it sure would be nice to ship them with a brand new edition of RIM's famed social app.

What can we expect from BBM 6.0 on the OS 7.0? There should be Groups improvements, like GPS integration. Chat should also be enhanced by an ability to share and receive calendar appointments. And a feature called Connected Apps has been rumoured too. It would essentially integrates popular apps, such as Twitter and Foursquare, into your BBM experience.

Research In Motion's new BBM could very likely launch in just one week, given that a note to clients has surfaced with some pretty clear text:

Please be advised that BlackBerry Messenger 6.0 for BlackBerry smartphones is scheduled to release as part of BlackBerry 7 OS and will be available in BlackBerry App World storefront on July 27, 2011.

Let's hope this is true. And let's hope the Bold 9900 launch isn't long after.