BlackBerry 10.3 to include Siri-style assistant, while BBM for Windows Phone to launch tomorrow

BlackBerry has revealed new details of a mobile assistant feature it’s set to introduce into the next major update to its mobile operating system, while BlackBerry Messenger for Windows Phone will launch tomorrow.

In a post on the company’s official blog, social media marketing lead Donny Halliwell introduced the new feature, which is set to be a part of the BlackBerry 10.3 update and comes preloaded on BlackBerry’s forthcoming Passport smartphone.

The new feature will compete against other personal assistant services, including Apple Siri, Google Now and Microsoft Cortana.

“If I’m driving and I ask it to read my latest email message to me, it does so. I can then ask it to ‘Mark Unread’ without having to enter the BlackBerry Hub. If I’m in a meeting and I type ‘Remind me to follow up with Matt about our whiteboard session,’ it builds me a reminder note that I can save without leaving the Assistant,” says Halliwell.

Alongside the announcement, BBM product and brand marketing head Jeff Gadway announced on Twitter the Windows Phone 8 version of the mobile app is set to roll out tomorrow.

Gadway tweeted “Should be tomorrow” in response to a post asking “when should those who signed up for the BBM Beta for WP be able to download?”