We already knew that free voice calls on BBM for Android and iPhone was coming when BlackBerry's VP Andrew Bocking confirmed it in October, but it looks like we won't be seeing it until early 2014.

Along with BBM Voice calls, BBM Channels will also be migrating to iPhone and Android, as well as adding more emoticons and what the company said in a blog post will be "easier file sharing" for pictures, you location and voice messages.

The new features are in beta right now, with BlackBerry repeating Bocking's earlier words, saying that a bigger roll out should happen within "the next couple months."

Where's the video?

No word yet on BBM Video, however, which Bocking said back in October was also coming to the messaging service in "coming months".

Once it does however, it will be able to better compete with Apple's iMessage and FaceTime, which started offering free voice calls over an internet connection with the rollout of iOS 7.

BBM's chatroom-type feature Channels migrating over to iPhone will also put it in a more profitable position than Apple's native offerings for its own devices, as it will be able to also sell ads and sponsored posts on the platforms.

• Here's our review of BlackBerry 10, on which BBM is a native

Android smartphone owners have gotten used to carrier-delayed firmware updates, so when Motorola announced an earlier-than-promised KitKat rollout, our robot antenna ears perked up.

"Starting today, we are rolling out Android 4.4.2 to Moto G phones bought on Motorola.com or Amazon.com in the U.S.," wrote Punit Soni, head of product management in an official blog post.

"KitKat will come to other Moto G carriers and regions soon as well."

Motorola is getting a jump on the "early 2014" release window it had originally promised for its mid-range handset during its launch last month.

The Google-owned company has also been steadfast in pushing KitKat to its higher-end Moto X, ensuring Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile subscribers are up-to-date.

Droid Ultra, Maxx, Mini also updated

Motorola's slightly older Droids are starting to receive the KitKat upgrade as well starting today.

The Droid Ultra, Droid Maxx, and Droid Mini tweaks include a new full-screen mode, improved security, smarter power use and better camera software, according to a Verizon's website.

Also, just in time for New Year's Resolutions, Fitbit direct syncing is now possible thanks to low-powered Bluetooth 4.0.

Other apps being updated or integrated include Verizon Mobile Security, Verizon Tones, Google Photos, and NFL Mobile 8.2.3.

While carrier-owned apps aren't typically worth toying around with, everything else will make you glad that Motorola is staying firm on its firmware update promises.

After much galavanting about the Nokia Camera App update, the Finnish smartphone maker finally dropped the Lumia Black update for the Lumia 1020.

The Black update is available for download right now directly from the Nokia Lumia 1020 support page. First and foremost the software update will upgrade the Nokia Camera app to shoot in RAW Digital Negative Format (DNG).

Lumia 1520 Purview shooter have already been enjoying the ability to shoot relatively compression and processing free photos for a few weeks now, and Lumia 1020 owners will finally be able to join in the fun now.

More recently, Nokia updated its official Camera app to work on a much larger range of other Lumia devices. The official Windows phone partner also stated DNG support is coming to more phones as the Lumia Black update becomes available, which will hopefully be soon.

The small but crucial fixes

Aside from increasing the Lumia 1020's picture shooting abilities, the Black update also tweaks a few functionality quirks. These include adding screen lock rotation, the ability add custom ringtones for specific notifications, and closing running apps is easier to do in the app switcher.

1020 users might also notice the new and improved Glance background app that adds little temperature check and pedometer tools to the lock screen. Along with these added features there's also Bluetooth 4.0 LE support along with better battery monitoring.

Of course, there's the standard firmware enhancements and other miscellaneous stability fixes. The downloadable update is hitting devices now, but if for those who just want to kick it to their devices manually, it's available for download here.

• The Steam Machine teardown reveals no secrets but an easy to fix PC.

If you fancy a break from the iOS and Android duopoly, and Windows Phone and BlackBerry just aren't doing it for you, you may like to take a look at the upstart Jolla Sailfish smartphone.

The handset, running the Sailfish OS which began its journey within Nokia as the never-truly-realised MeeGo software, is now available to buy in the UK and most of Europe, from the official web portal.

The modestly-specced handset, which arrives packing a 4.5-inch 540 x 960 display and a 1.4GHz dual-core Snapdragon processor, can be had for €399 (around £331).

There's also 1GB of RAM, an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera and a 1-megapixel front facing camera, so it's certainly not a Nexus 5 contender in terms of a value-for-specs comparison.

A whole Jolla Android apps

However, despite the mid-range specs, a reasons more folks may be willing to consider the Sailfish-running handset over more moderately priced rivals is its ability to run Android apps.

It is using the Yandex app store, which holds over 85,000 Android titles, while there's also plenty of native Jolla apps to choose from.

Those ordering the device will have to wait a while to get their paws on it before Santa arrives as delivery estimates currently sit at 3-4 weeks.

Can Jolla oust Ubuntu or Samsung's Tizen in the battle of the upstart mobile operating systems? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.

• Jolla on Jolla: How it could do what Nokia couldn't.

Like it or not, the smartwatch appears to be here to stay, but the best may be yet to come as companies like Motorola secure patents that would allow wearable devices with bendable displays.

The US Patent and TradeMark Office (USPTO) published a new Motorola Mobility patent application today (via Engadget) that outlines how the Google-owned company might introduce a wearable electronic device with a flexible display.

Patent application 13/526673 was first filed on June 19, 2012 and credits the inventor as Alberto R. Cavallaro, revealing that Motorola already had its sights on wearables well ahead of the current smartwatch craze.

Of course, Motorola has filed plenty of other patents and trademarks for wrist-friendly wearables as well as flexible displays, but the newly published application is the first time both have appeared in the same place.

Bending over backwards

Motorola's patent application specifically details a method whereby "a flexible chassis module including a front portion having a channel and a rear portion" can be coupled to a display module.

"This method allows flexing of an electronic device with a flexible display for curved viewing, if desired, or bending with minimal stress," the patent reads.

The technique described by Motorola is not unlike a traditional metal watch band, which connects a series of narrow links to provide the necessary flexibility.

The difference here is that the entire display of a smartwatch could bend with the chassis - but first Motorola will need to figure out how to make equally bendy circuit boards, if not sidestep the laws of physics entirely.

• Forget the smartwatch - we take a hands-on look at Google Glass!