BlackBerry Messenger for iOS Likely Coming Soon, App Submitted Two Weeks Ago

[kas23]

Not really mate, they want to take on whatsapp wich is now subscription based for new users plus bbm on iOS and Android will make possible for people that use Blackberrys with only "Social" data plan (only use bbm and email with no full data plan) to communicate with Android and iOS at no cost.

I can see them going after the current messaging services (using BBM, but without the BB). That's fine. They can become a software company. But I still don't get the option of having a BB communicate with an Android device or iPhone. People need to own BBs to make that happen. And while you may know someone with a BB (likely a 55 year-old white male who uses it as a work phone), the actual numbers say these phones are rare and on the path to extinction.

 

[MacMan988]

Why?

 

[ahmede]

It's completely free.

How would blackberry survive then??

 

[Daveoc64]

How would blackberry survive then??

No idea.

Maybe it will cost money one day?
Adverts?
They hope people will like it and buy a Blackberry?
They hope people will stick with their Blackberry because they can now use it to talk to their friends on other platforms?

 

[MonstaMash]

If BlackBerry had launched BBM for iOS/Android two years ago, the app would have had the most dominant multi-platform messaging service.

The sad reality is that too much people have left BBM, and competition between iMessage, WhatsApp, and Facebook Messenger is fierce.

This is going to be a great niche product for businesses and people that rely on BBM, but talk about a missed opportunity. Yet another case of BlackBerry scrambling to catch up, instead of being a market leader.

 

[donutbagel]

Canadians rejoice!

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What's the point of WhatsApp? Never pay for text messaging, NEVER, unless you really need to use SMS. AIM is already free and works on everything. FBM is free and works OK. Anyway, I'm probably going to go ahead and not download this since nobody I know uses a BlackBerry.

 

[chimpboy74]

I have to have a blackberry for work (as do all my colleagues) I have never used bbm even for non work chats. Everyone uses text. Maybe we're too old!!!

 

[macsrcool1234]

I don't understand why WhatsApp is so popular...it has more security holes than swiss cheese. Seriously, the original version actually sent out things in plaintext....there's literally another vulnerability being posted every month.

 

[Fruit Cake]

Canadians rejoice!

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Eyy?

 

[Switchback666]

I can see them going after the current messaging services (using BBM, but without the BB). That's fine. They can become a software company. But I still don't get the option of having a BB communicate with an Android device or iPhone. People need to own BBs to make that happen. And while you may know someone with a BB (likely a 55 year-old white male who uses it as a work phone), the actual numbers say these phones are rare and on the path to extinction.

It depends on the region, here in latin america/caribbean most people have/had blackberrys just because of the bbm, hell ive seen a bunch of z10 ! And the users are from all ages

I dont understand why are you saying "people need to own BBs to make that happend" , if your talking about word of mouth im sure they wont have a problem with advrts.

Another good example is "Line" very popular msg and voip app that hardly anyone in the States knows about

 

[jdogg836]

...or any of the 60 million current users of BBM.

60 million? would love to see the number of "active" users. Most of that 60 million has likely abandoned it and moved on 2 years ago.

 

[Switchback666]

60 million? would love to see the number of "active" users. Most of that 60 million has likely abandoned it and moved on 2 years ago.

Google is your friend i remember similar figures for active users early this year and im sure it will grow bigger when it launch on iOS and Android.

 

[roadbloc]

60 million? would love to see the number of "active" users. Most of that 60 million has likely abandoned it and moved on 2 years ago.

You'd be surprised how many people use it. BlackBerrys still outnumber iPhones where I live. For me, BBM coming to different platforms is a godsend.

 

[Switchback666]

You'd be surprised how many people use it. BlackBerrys still outnumber iPhones where I live. For me, BBM coming to different platforms is a godsend.

For some reason if its not popular in the USA then its not selling well etc

Same way how a lot of people in the forum dont seem to know about Whatsapp and Line.

 

[rhoydotp]

no one cares, bb is dead and has been for years!

you must not work in the IT industry? It looks like there's not a lot of business people around this forum nowadays. BB is still much in-use because of security.

 

[Daveoc64]

I don't understand why WhatsApp is so popular...it has more security holes than swiss cheese. Seriously, the original version actually sent out things in plaintext....there's literally another vulnerability being posted every month.

I suppose that in the segment where it's most popular - particularly people under 18, security is not a concern at all.

To be honest, I can't imagine that they are sending anything worth intercepting!

I certainly wouldn't use it though. The security model is poorly designed, and they are too stubborn to redesign it.

 

[bnnentertainmen]

Good for you?

dont tell me you like bbm

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Exclusive to iOS, so pretty useless for anyone without an iPhone.



But has horrific security.



Pretty short list then... What about Kik?

most of my friends(70-80%) have an iphone
nothing's secure nowadays (havent you read about NSA)

 

[Daveoc64]

nothing's secure nowadays (havent you read about NSA)

I've read about it, that's why I know it's not as bad as you make it out to be!

 

[shardey]

dont tell me you like bbm

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most of my friends(70-80%) have an iphone
nothing's secure nowadays (havent you read about NSA)

I wonder if this is the reason they are pushing BBM to across multiple platforms, to maybe have a nice secure foot against them (not likely though).

I recently purchased a Z10 brand new off of craigslist for a great price, and it's a solid piece of equipment. The only thing lacking, of course, is the app store. Since it is based off of Android, it will hopefully acquire the ability to run most Android apps. Honestly, if BB came out with a 5"+ screen phone, I think it would sell like hotcakes, if all the former were to apply.

 

[CylonGlitch]

I wonder if this is the reason they are pushing BBM to across multiple platforms, to maybe have a nice secure foot against them (not likely though).

I recently purchased a Z10 brand new off of craigslist for a great price, and it's a solid piece of equipment. The only thing lacking, of course, is the app store. Since it is based off of Android, it will hopefully acquire the ability to run most Android apps. Honestly, if BB came out with a 5"+ screen phone, I think it would sell like hotcakes, if all the former were to apply.

All reports are that the BB Z10 is a good piece of hardware, not perfect, but good. BUT . . .

BB is dead; seriously dead. They are looking to sell the company and get out of the business ASAP. It feels like the release of the BBM app for the other platforms is an attempt to build up the valuation of the company for a sale. Rumors are that they want to be out of the business as soon as November! (Source)

I wouldn't hold my breath for a second gen Z10, or any other device from the company. Best be would be for someone to step in, grab the company update the OS and put it on some decent hardware.

BB is late to the game, they should have done the Z10 a few years ago and made BBM available on iOS as soon as possible. As it is, nothing much is going to come out of this.

 

[kaielement]

App development has been going moderately apace and continues to get better. Of course, the fact that BB10 sideloads Android apps easily, often with better performance than native Android hardware, and that as of 10.2 the virtualization runtime is Jelly Bean, means that current Android developers have only a few mouse-clicks between them and another platform on which to generate revenue.

While this might be true most consumers don't know this and wouldn't care they think that bb has no apps thus the choice then becomes either iOS or android for most consumers.

 

[sniffies]

Nothing lasts forever.

Everything comes to an end one day.

BlackBerry's era has ended.

What we hear now is the sound of a hammer hammering a nail into BlackBerry's coffin.

 

[JGRE]

Well, if BBM is secure and offers integration of Mail, SMS, WhatsApp, iMassage, Facebook messenger, and the rest of them, as it does on my son's BB, it will prevent me to have to go to 10 apps every day to see whether someone send me a message.

 

[NightFox]

60 million? would love to see the number of "active" users. Most of that 60 million has likely abandoned it and moved on 2 years ago.

Read the article - that is active users

 

[bnnentertainmen]

I wonder if this is the reason they are pushing BBM to across multiple platforms, to maybe have a nice secure foot against them (not likely though).

I recently purchased a Z10 brand new off of craigslist for a great price, and it's a solid piece of equipment. The only thing lacking, of course, is the app store. Since it is based off of Android, it will hopefully acquire the ability to run most Android apps. Honestly, if BB came out with a 5"+ screen phone, I think it would sell like hotcakes, if all the former were to apply.

guess what?

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I've read about it, that's why I know it's not as bad as you make it out to be!

o yeah, please pass me your bank details, contacts, etc....