If there’s one thing that
BlackBerry can be proud of, it’s the BBM messaging service. I think that
everyone can say that for the majority – if not all – of the BlackBerry users
they know, BBM was the thing that clinched the deal. Of course, we have heard of
BBM outages happening, with users feeling like they’ve been cut off from the
rest of the world. Never mind that they can only use BBM with the handful of
other BlackBerry users in their circle
This
situation is about to change, though, as BlackBerry has just announced that it
is going to release BBM for Android and iOS come summer. This season is always
an exciting one for many reasons, but for users of BBM who may have been
wanting to expand their circles to non-BlackBerry friends, this summer is really
something to look forward to.
According
to BlackBerry CEO Thorsten Heins, “It’s time to bring BBM to a greater
audience, no matter what mobile device they carry.” He also gives assurance
that BBM for Android and iOS will not be merely crippled copycat versions. He
adds, “We’re starting with messaging and groups, but we’ll bring voice, screen
share, and of course, channels later on.”
Of
course, we can’t ignore the fact that BlackBerry has to rely on Apple and
Google’s approval. Without that stamp, BBM for Android and iOS might just be a
flop. Or might not even happen. If it does happen, users who want to connect
via BBM will be able to do so by downloading the free app.
On
another note, this development brings up an interesting idea: “Every major
mobile competitor makes apps for iOS.” Google makes apps for iOS (How do we
live without Google Maps?). Microsoft also has apps for iOS. Nokia has Here
Maps. That may not be every competitor, but it does give you something to think
about.
In
any case, how do you feel about BBM for Android and iOS? Are you even thinking
about using it on top – or in lieu – of WhatsApp (which is on BB10, by the
way), Viber, etc.?
