BlackBerry Messenger looks like it
will be arriving for Android users
on June 27th. We have yet to see
the official confirmation from
BlackBerry, however the June 27th
date seems to keep popping up
with this latest mention coming
from T-Mobile UK. The carrier
shared the date on Twitter and in
addition to the Android release, it
looks like iOS users will also be
able to join in on the fun that same
day.
The details were on the lighter side
and the message reads as follows;
“Great news – BlackBerry
Messenger will be available to
download on iOS and Android
from June 27th!”
Looking back at the earlier BBM
related leaks and chatter and we
have noticed the previous Twitter
account that shared the date has
since been removed. We wouldn’t
expect that to happen with the T-
Mobile UK page, however we must
remember that date is still
unconfirmed until we hear
something direct from BlackBerry.
Otherwise, other recent BBM
chatter included talk of the app
being pre-loaded on select Android
handsets. This bit came by way of
BlackBerry Chief Operating Officer
Kristian Tear. The COO said “there
is interest from other handset
makers,” but unfortunately failed
to provide any specifics.
With that, BBM for Android will
allow for cross-platform chatting
however some of the initial
features will be limited as
compared to what BlackBerry users
have. Some of the missing items
will include group chat, voice
calling and screen sharing. As far
as support, BBM for Android will
be available for devices running
Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich
and above.
The real question here will be as to
whether BBM will receive a warm
welcome or a cold shoulder when it
arrives in the Play Store. Not to say
BBM isn’t a viable option, but
there happens to be quite a few
alternatives already available and in
use.
[Update] Looks like that T-Mobile
UK tweet has since been deleted. In
addition, BlackBerry has released a
statement saying they haven’t
“announced a date” and that BBM
for Android is “coming this
summer.” BlackBerry Messenger
It seems BlackBerry is looking to
have Messenger pre-loaded on
select Android handsets. Basically,
it is looking like BBM could end up
another piece of bloatware and
hopefully it will be a piece that is
able to be removed. While this bit
has been confirmed by the folks at
BlackBerry, there hasn’t been much
said in terms of which devices may
have BBM pre-loaded.
BlackBerry Chief Operating Officer
Kristian Tear told CNET that “there
is interest from other handset
makers.” Touching on that potential
release date, Tear declined to
comment on when BBM would be
released for Android. There was
some talk of the current user base.
At present Tear noted that BBM has
an active user base of 61 million
and that 70 percent are using it
daily.
While that is certainly not a small
number, there may be another
hitch in terms of the success on
Android. This other hitch comes
from Google. Specifically, Hangouts
which we saw announced a short
while back during Google I/O. BBM
may seem like a good option for
Android users to keep in touch with
friends and family on other
platforms, however so is Hangouts.
The other side of this story is
whether BBM coming to other
platforms will convince some
BlackBerry users to finally switch
devices. After all, we suspect there
may be a few long term BlackBerry
users that are sticking around for a
few limited reasons, one of which
may be BBM. Of course, that was
addressed by Tear who spoke about
how they (BlackBerry) doesn’t “feel
like that is a risk.” So how about it,
is anyone excited about the
upcoming launch of BBM on
Android?
SOURCE: CNET
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