AfterDawn: News

BlackBerry Messenger headed to rival mobile OS?

BGR has posted an interesting report today claiming that Research In Motion will soon launch BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) apps for Android and iOS, making BlackBerry's most popular app non-exclusive for the first time in its history.

There is no word on a timetable or whether the apps will be free, but the "sources" claim that it may end up being free. There is also a chance that the apps may be subscription-based.



While the move makes little short-term sense, BGR speculates that RIM has grown angry with the emergence of Kik, which is available on all mobile operating systems and offers, literally, the same experience as BBM and wants to take back the market.

As for the app itself, it will be a "stripped down" version of the BlackBerry app, stripping out the ability to share videos, photo and geo-locate.

By offering the app to all, they might even get some Android or iOS defectors to BlackBerry.

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 3 Mar 2011 16:41

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• 4 comments

• biglo30

  I hope this happens soon because a lot of my friends have bbm but I'm still an android fan.
  

  3.3.2011 19:08 #1

• Morreale

  Originally posted by biglo30: I hope this happens soon because a lot of my friends have bbm but I'm still an android fan. Same here!

  4.3.2011 00:53 #2

• ST2006

  Originally posted by Morreale: Originally posted by biglo30: I hope this happens soon because a lot of my friends have bbm but I'm still an android fan. Same here! I third that.. what I ont get is why THEY don't just use PingChat, this Kik thing or Whatsapp (if thats available to them?)???
  

  SmokeThis2006

  5.3.2011 04:38 #3

• ee2skater

  Kik didn't work nearly as well as it should've, and fell through so quick with all my friends. BBM just works flawlessly IMO.

  6.3.2011 14:13 #4