In March, LinkedIn launched our first native application for the Blackberry. While we knew this was one of our most hotly requested new features, the rapid adoption of the new app has been amazing to watch. Since the debut of LinkedIn for BlackBerry 1.0, the team has been working hard on an update that addresses some of the major requests from our members. The result of that work is now available for download as LinkedIn for BlackBerry v1.1. You can download it directly from LinkedIn right now:
Download LinkedIn for BlackBerry 1.1
LinkedIn for BlackBerry 1.1 will also be available for download from the BlackBerry App World application on your smartphone shortly. We now support the following BlackBerry models: Tour, Curve, Bold, Pearl, Storm and over 21 devices running BlackBerry OS v4.3 or later.
New Device Support
The new version of LinkedIn for BlackBerry adds support for the Storm and Pearl families of devices. Getting access to LinkedIn on these devices has been a top request from our users, and this release continues our efforts to help you leverage the power of your professional network anytime, anywhere.
As we grow internationally, it’s increasingly important that we enable our members to interact with our mobile applications in their native language. Like LinkedIn.com, LinkedIn for BlackBerry is now localized for our members in Italy and Brazil:
Profile Updates Get Smarter
With the new version of LinkedIn for BlackBerry, we provide more detail of what your connections have been changing on their profile. You can now see what sections have been changed (Education, Headline, Experience, etc.), as well as when your connections add things like an Instant Messenger account, Twitter account, or add their birthday to their profile.
With these changes it is now much easier to keep up with what your network is doing while mobile.
We’re Listening
In addition to the new devices and profile update changes, we’ve also listened to the user community and addressed a number of issues they have raised in the LinkedIn for BlackBerry group and through our feedback email address. In addition to these fixes, our existing users should also see some improvements in how we use fonts, as well as some improvements to how we update the BlackBerry Contacts application when you’ve enabled address book integration with LinkedIn.
The BlackBerry platform continues to be a top priority for the LinkedIn mobile team, so expect regular enhancements and additions to the application throughout the rest of 2010. If you are one of our LinkedIn for BlackBerry users, please join the conversation in the LinkedIn for BlackBerry group.
We’re very excited to hear from you and hear suggestions for new features and improvements.
LinkedIn for BlackBerry v1.1 is live and available immediately. Get it now.
- Topics:
- Blackberry,
- LinkedIn Mobile,
- New LinkedIn Features
Comments
Thank you!
ABOUT TIME! thank god!
First, I appreciate LinkedIn delivering a BB Storm build. I was waiting VERY PATIENTLY for the Storm to be supported. I just spent 30 minutes looking for a place to provide feedback on the LINKEDIN FOR BLACKBERRY v1.1 application. The only reference I was able to locate for support on this application was within the mobile application itself (it apparently has a feedback option within the application) which is a problem when the application doesn’t work.
Downloaded and installed the application yesterday. Noticed that my battery was almost DEAD within 4 hours of installation. Found the application still running (from Menu key /switch application). Tried the BB Storm Escape key to “quit” the application – no luck, still running. Tried the BB Storm End key to “quit” the application – no luck, still running. Tried the Menu key / close option – no luck, still running. Tried Menu key / logout – it logged out, but was still running. The program continues running no matter what I do.
I finally had to delete the application because battery life on a Smartphone is more important than any application. I understand this is version 1 of the Storm being supported. But I can’t use an application that chews through my battery like that. When an application is in the background it can’t continue to process and drain the battery at such an extreme rate – bad coding.
The interface felt comfortable and seemed very usable but you have to fix battery usage for this application to be useful on a Smartphone. I’d rate battery life as the most important rating factor of any Smartphone application by a HUGE factor far ahead of anything else. Please fix the battery drain problem.
The application is fantastic and the same is working in my bb tour too…
I am having similar issues with the LinkedIn application for BB Tour. I installed in three days ago and since then my battery lasts about 4-5 hours on a full charge, where it used to last about 36 hours. I unstalled the application and my battery (13 hours later) was still 80%. I recharged to 100% battery and re-installed the application. Within 4.5 hours my phone was completely dead…powered off dead. This is conclusive to me.
If LinkedIn cannot fix the battery drain issue, users should AT LEAST have the ability to shut the app down which we do not have right now. The ‘close’ option does not shut the application down.
Ditto on the battery drain issue and that there is no way to terminate the program once it is running on the Storm. This needs an immediate fix.
Any plan to release this LinkedIn application for Android ?
I sure hope so, 160,000 Android phones are activated per day with Android now surpassing the iOS in terms of web traffic, I would think they’d make it a priority. I’d expect it in the next couple months. They now have 2 of the top 3 platforms. Android version has to be coming. It’s too large of a user base to ignore.
Same thing here. Why are there still apps being developed that you CANNOT close? I mean, once Linkedin is running, it cannot be closed in any way! That is unbelievable.
I also deinstalled the app again as it was the only way to close it again.
I understand that some basic BB apps are always running in the background but I don;t understand if this is the case for an app like LinkedIn.
And as you can see, it has a massive effect on battery life.
There must be a way to exit this application. There is no reason for this kind of application to be running permanently. Who’s idea was this?
Hi,
Please could you advise if you are able to provide COD files for the Blackberry app so we can distribute via a Blackberry Enterprise Server? It doesn’t matter if they don’t include the ALX files as I can write these up myself.
Regards
Is there a page that explains the consequences / benefits of choosing to have the app integrate with Blackberry Contacts and Mail? The synch rules are unclear and cannot be configured. This can be very problematic if you have a substantial number of contacts in your address book and a large number of LinkedIn connections.
I am looking for Linkedin application for other phones also like Nokia N97. Please advice if it is already there.
Regards,
Varun
Its good that you have launched the linked in application for BB however, I have an iPhone, and where does that leave me? Is there such an application for iPhone mobile?
tku
@Liz- Yes, we have an iPhone app that has been out for quite awhile now. You should be able to find it by visiting the iTunes store. It’s free so download it and give it a try.
Derek Homann
LinkedIn Product Specialist
I am currently abroad and feel forced to keep my BlackBerry shut all the time. Why? It is LinkedIn that is running in the background and using WAP/internet as I just found out. I intended not to use WAP/internet over 3G because of the high cost ( being a subscriber at SFR in France) at 7€ per day. Just running LinkedIn in the background while not even using it costs me 7€ per day. I run no internet, no GPS or whatsoever to keep the cost bearable. Why the hell is LinkedIn pushing me to over 60€ of wasted money while spending a few days in the family. Why do I have to avoid using my BlackBerry at all? After all I have a Europe Passport option in my SFR subscription that enables me to call at local tariff from all over europe.
Find a solution right away please and make LinkedIn close completely when I whish to.
I installed the app on my BlackBerry Storm and I do enjoy the interface and think, for the most part, it is a well designed application.
However, I too can not exit the app and with it draining memory and battery life I can not justify keeping the application installed.
I appreciate having a free app made available to LinkedIn users, however it is completely unacceptable to not be able to shut down the program to better manage the phone’s resources.
I just want to add my voice to the crowd of people clamoring for the ability to exit the linkedin app.
I actually really like the app, but I can’t run it because it drains battery and there is NO WAY to exit from it. Would it have been so hard to add this as an option????
Just talking about it pisses me off. Off to uninstall the app.
Jimmymac
Is there a possability when linking a Linkedin contact with my BB contact that the birthday is also some how “transferred” to the BB contact?
This would safe me a lot of time entering all the birthdays myself.
So when will you develop an app for the torch???
Mmm…. sad, the “closing issue” it’s a must have. Not only because battery, but because it’s necessary to tidy things up.
Uninstalling. Please post the release as soon as you have resolved this issued, I really like the app.
BR
@Stephan and other folks who mentioned Android
We’ve just launched a beta version of our Android app.
http://blog.linkedin.com/2010/12/16/linkedin-android-beta/
We’re glad we could get this out to you before the holidays. Look forward to your feedback.
I agree on the background issue. I just deleted it from my blackberry. It’s useful, but was causing big issues for my internet browser and battery life. I want to be able to use it when I want to use it. There is no reason for it to be running at all times.
Wow itks been months since the battery drain and inability to close were mentioned and still no updates nor even a reaponse to this important issue? I only recently installed, but I too will be uninstalling until this is resolved. It’s too bad because, as otherd have said, the interface for the app is quite well done…
Love this blackberry app. But I’m bummed out I had to uninstall it because I could not close it. It remained running in the background.
Any way we can force quit the app on a blackberry?
the storm pearl was a strong phone. well kinda, i didn’t like the fact that it didn’t seem like it was strong but i threw it around a little and its tough
It’s still bugged Ari, others had the same problem.
I have a different problem. It was working on my storm at first but as of late im getting an error message saying “Your device does not have enough memory to complete the download….” I have no idea what that means and luckily i have my lap top with me all the time in case i need to check Linkedin.
I agree regarding comments about not being able to close the app. It definitely has affected my battery life in a negative way. I will be deleting the app as a result of this fatal error.
I’m running version 1.5.0.8 on a BlackBerry Bold 2 (9780) and it will not close or exit. AppWorld shows the last version as 1.5.0 (October 21, 2010).
Uninstalling now!
Great app, but there is no way I’m keeping it because you cannot close it. Uninstalling now.
I too removed this app because there is no way to quit. It uses memory and drains battery when I am not using it (as many here have already mentioned). Developing a mobile app in this way demonstrates colossal ignorance and/or arrogance.
It was a nice app, one of the nicest on Blackberry compared to twitter and Facebook. However the inability to quit the app is annoying and consuming on the battery too much. I had the Google G1 android phone and that had a similar issue of no quitting apps after use. LINKEDIN SORT IT OUT AND LISTEN TO THE PEOPLE!
Since the article says “we’re listening”, please listen to us! The app needs some overhaul. The Android and iOS apps already have groups available. On top of that, please fix the issue regarding the app running in the background and disability to close it!!
I luv the app but am going to uninstall it as Linkedin cant solve the basic issue of the app running on the background always. You cant close it, no matter what!!!
Don’t know why you guys are not listening after repeated requests from user to solve this problem.
THIS IS BAD!!!
I installed this app right away on my blkackberry, but I noticed that you could never close it…I did not even think of it for a couple of weeks (and I wondered why my battery life was only 24 hours or so), and then I un-installed it and now my battery charge lasts about 72 hours. I think there should be an “exit” feature, just as with twitter, facebook, and all other social networking programs. I would not really care if we were talking about 1 or 2 hours of battery life we are talking about fully two-thirds of the battery potential…please fix.