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BlackBerry Messenger User Guides Posted, iOS Launch Coming Soon?

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BlackBerry announced in May that it would bring its BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) platform to iOS and after sending out beta invites to the service in early August, the company has now posted (via TechCrunch) a user guide that suggests the app's launch may be imminent.

BBM, which functions similarly to Apple's iMessage, was one of the first proprietary mobile messaging services and remains popular to this day with more than 60 million monthly active users.

bbm_android.jpg
Leaked screenshot of the Android version of BBM​
The BBM user guide details how the service works, the available features, and how to create an account. It also offers a rundown on icons and a troubleshooting section.
With BBM, you can chat and share in real-time with your BBM contacts and groups. For example, you can share pictures, see when someone has read your message or is typing a reply, and update your BBM status or picture. Share your news with multiple people using multiperson chats and group chats.

With BBM Groups, you can plan events, track to-do lists, share pictures, and chat with up to 30 people at the same time without needing to add them all as BBM contacts.
Click to expand...
According to the user guide, the app will support profiles, barcode invites, multi-media chats, emoticons, and group chats. Like other messaging apps, it will function over both Wi-Fi and cellular connections.

While BlackBerry originally targeted a summer release for the app, the company has yet to narrow down its projected release timeline. With the debut of the beta earlier this month and the subsequent guide, it appears that the app is ready to launch.

Article Link: BlackBerry Messenger User Guides Posted, iOS Launch Coming Soon?
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2013/08/22/blackberry-messenger-user-guides-posted-ios-launch-coming-soon/
As the very first cross-platform messaging service that people actually know of and trust (whats-app does not count), this could actually have the potential to take down traditional SMS if everyone on every platform downloads it.
 
Still hard to believe this once behemoth of a company is now on its way out within what seemed like minutes of the iphone coming out...
 
Only 5 years too late!!

The once mighty BB ship has sailed and they will soon be among the many casualties along the information highway!
 
inlinevolvo said:
Still hard to believe this once behemoth of a company is now on its way out within what seemed like minutes of the iphone coming out...
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That's because their killer feature was push email, and they always kind of sucked at personal information management and user interface. Once push email became available on platforms and interfaces that were much better designed their fate was sealed.

On a side note, it's ironic that the two most marketable products that Blackberry has, mobile device management and messaging may well outlive the actual Blackberry product...
 
Useless to me. Everyone I knew who had BlackBerrys jumped ship 3 years ago. Releasing BBM cross platform seems more like an incentive for businesses who still rely on BBM to replace their BlackBerrys with iOS or Androids. If BlackBerry thinks this is going to reel in more customers to their BB10 platform they're in for a rude awakening.
 
JayCee842 said:
Wow, the have some heart. They should've thrown in the towel a long time ago :)
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... and what if Apple had thought this way in 1997-ish?

I can't they try? What the **** is wrong with that?

I love my Mac, iPhone and iPad, but really the any fanboy culture has me puzzled...
 
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GenesisST said:
... and what if Apple had thought this way in 1997-ish?

I can't they try? What the **** is wrong with that?

I love my Mac, iPhone and iPad, but really the Apple culture has me puzzled...
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It's not something exclusive to Apple fanboys…
 
It's never too late, I loved BBM on my Blackberry, can't wait for it and as soon it comes out I will delete Whatsapp.
 
the bad thing is that i dont have a single friend who uses BBM, so i'm not really excited for this. imessage is the best messaging app ever created.
 
too little too late.
whatsapp and the chinese app have taken over multi-platform msj. They should have released this 2 years ago.
 
A few years ago this would have been a big deal and they would have cornered the market.

Still, I hope they do well with it.
 
The problem was that RIM/BBRY tied their messaging system to their PIN which was basically like an IMEI for messaging. They couldn't even figure out how to share email access across blackberry phones and tablets because they had different PINs. You literally had to tether a blackberry phone with a blackberry tablet to have access to email. How stupid is that?

So to get Blackberry Messenger to work on other devices required some serious work on their backend. SMH @ BBRY
 
macnisse said:
I was thinking along the same line, will try it out but will keep whatsapp too.
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The thing is, I can't stand "online" and "last seen at..." on Whatsapp, seems to me that it's an invasion to my privacy, specially when you open WA 1 or 2 a.m. Why the hell can people know if I'm awake for simply open Whatsapp.

The worst thing is that for me there's no other alternative for now.
 
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