BlackBerry Was Asked 4 Years Ago To Tackle Whatsapp But Refused

Four years ago, a former employee of BlackBerry who is now the founder of Kik messaging app, Ted Livingston, told executives in BlackBerry to make BBM available to both Android and iPhone so that it can curb the strength Whatsapp is having on these devices but this advice went on deaf hears.

According to Ted, who worked for BlackBerry as an engineer while a mechatronics student at University of Waterloo persuaded BlackBerry executives to expand BBM to other platforms with the rise of Android and iOS and they absolutely refused.

He says he understands their point of view as people buy BlackBerry because of its BBM and releasing BBM to other platforms poses a serious risk.

Ted Livingston later left BlackBerry due to their hardheadedness  to create his own app known as Kik that was cross platform and became extremely popular. Kik has about 90 million users to date while BlackBerry has only 60 million users. This popularity made BlackBerry to sue Ted for patent infringement but was settled finally.

According to Ted, "BBM was the killer app and chat apps are still the killer apps of consumer smartphones, if RIM had spun BBM out of the company and let an independent company run with (as a cross platform service) it would be big enough to rival Facebook"

Of course, this gentle advice that BlackBerry disregarded is now been put into action and soon, BBm will go cross-platform

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BlackBerry Have Started Testing BBM For Android Again

BlackBerry have started testing a new version of the BBM app for Android. This we noticed in the emails sent to beta testers. 

This version of BBM for Android is more stable, the UI have been redesigned with a new welcome screen explaining the app, notifications is now present, the persistent notification running in the status bar can now optionally be disabled and finally, the UI as a whole has received some more polish.

No potential released date have been communicated to the beta testers or to anyone yet. However, it shows that BlackBerry is still true to its words that it will bring BBM to Android device and iPhone users.

As patience runs dry and people begin to lose interest, BlackBerry should just hurry up.

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Whatsapp Makes Fun At BlackBerry

Whatsapp released and update to their Whatsapp Messenger for Android platform yesterday, stressing on the good things you get to gain from using Whatsapp Messenger. One of the good things according to Whatsapp is that you don't need to remember PIN or contact name. This is some sort of taking a spin on BlackBerry Messenger aka (BBM).

You would recall that BlackBerry was supposed to release BBM for Android and iPhone last week (21st of September) but failed. I for one, am getting really impatient and the same goes for a lot of folks. Some have already lost interest in the BBM app for Android and iPhone.

Sequel to this failed BBM release for Android and iPhone, Whatsapp have beefed up their app, making it more fluid and user friendly with successive updates across all platforms.

Of course, Whatsapp is aware of the huge craving consumers have for BlackBerry Messenger and Whatsapp is doing everything in their power to make sure that its customers stay with them while gaining new customers.

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BBM for Windows 7 Release Announced

Its very interesting to see things unfold in the tech industry. On of those interesting things is the announcement of BBM for Desktop which was announced at the BlackBerry Jam Asia yesterday.

BBM for desktop computers which had the same touch and feel with the BBM for smartphones was shown off by Alec Saunders and Chris Smith to attendees. This version according to Alec Saunders will use both USB and WiFi for connectivity.

Word on the development of BBM for Mac was also released, saying that development is on going for mac computers but was their no mention of any release date for it.

Stay tuned for more information as BlackBerry Jam for Asia will reveal more important stuffs.

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Source: BBOS

BBM For Android and iPhone Not Releasing This Week

Looks like the wait for BBM to totally go cross platform will take longer than anyone expected. This was the case when Andrew Bocking, Head of BBM at BlackBerry released a statement on the Inside BlackBerry Blog which explains the problems that occurred on Saturday's launch date, and steps that are currently being taken to fix it. See his statement below

"Last week, an unreleased, older version of the BBM for Android app was posted on numerous file sharing sites. We were aware of an issue with this unreleased version of the BBM for Android app. This older version resulted in volumes of data traffic orders of magnitude higher than normal for each active user and impacted the system in abnormal ways. The version we were planning to release on Saturday addressed these issues, however we could not block users of the unreleased version if we went ahead with the launch.
We attempted to address the problems caused by the unreleased version throughout the day on Saturday, but as active users of the unreleased app neared a million – and accelerated – it became clear that the only way to address the issue was to pause the rollout for both Android and iPhone.
The team is now focused on adjusting the system to completely block this unreleased version of the Android app when we go live with the official BBM for Android app. We are also making sure that the system is reinforced to handle this kind of scenario in the future. While this may sound like a simple task – it’s not. This will take some time and I do not anticipate launching this week."

There it is guys, if you have your hopes up on using BBM for Android this week, you should just relax a little and exercise some patience till its available in coming week or more.

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Source: BBOS 

Why BBM For Android Got Delayed

It was almost like we were been pawned by BlackBerry when a lot of us couldn't get the BlackBerry BBM app to download on the Google Play Store at the time it was supposed to be available and even hours after.

However, according to BlackBerry, 1.1 million new Android users were registered for BBM within 8 hours. This is really a staggering amount considering that the app wasn't even officially launched....This actually caused the delay.

According to BlackBerry, the usage of the unreleased BBM for Android version caused issues which they have attempted to address throughout the day.

The BBM team have released a statement as seen below

"Our teams continue to work around the clock to bring BBM to Android and iPhone, but only when it is ready and we know it will live up to expectations of BBM. We are pausing the global rollout of BBM for Android and iPhone. 

Customers who have already downloaded BBM for iPhone will be able to continue to use BBM. The unreleased Android app will be disabled and customers who downloaded it should visit www.BBM.com to register for updates on official BBM for Android availability. "

What these mean is that, there is an indefinite pause on the release of BBM for Android and iPhone globally until all the issues are sorted out and declared fit for use again.

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BBM FOR ANDROID SUFFERS A MAJOR SETBACK

This post is quite long overdue to put you guys in the know on what is happening with BBM for Android which should have dropped to Google Play Store since 12noon Nigerian time.

However allegedly due to some issues with the Android version which includes server problems, fake BBM names and apks surfacing on the Google Play Store, the BBM for Android suffered a major set back.

It would be important to note that the iPhone version of the same app is already making its way into all Apple App Store world wide. It was first seen in Apple App World Australia and then move to other countries App Store and its already available in India. Apparently in no time, it should be released worldwide by tomorrow Nigerian time.

Still, no sign of the Android version of BBM...whew! Even the leaked version is having a hard time displaying PINS and logging in people. This may be due to server overload.

Anyway, you guys should hang in there, surely it will make its way to Google Play store for download and as always will be on the lookout and notify you guys when it finally hit the Play Store. The Original BBM app for Android will arry the BlackBerry Limited tag underneath the app so that you won't confuse it with the fakes.

If you are an iPhone user, please download your BBM for iPhone here 

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List of Phones That Support BBM For Android and iPhone

BlackBerry's BBM for Android devices and iPhone is expected to be available for download on 21st and 22nd of September from the App Store of the two supported platforms respectively.

One question that have constantly being asked is that "What phones will this BBM support on Android and iPhone?" For this reason, this post was made to clarify any doubts.

To answer the question, consider the following points.

1. BBM will support Android Ice Cream Sandwich and above. That is Androi 4.0 and above
2. BBM will support iOS 6.0 and above
3. BBM will work on All Samsung devices be it note, smartphone or tablet if they are running Android 4.0 and above
4. BBM will work on Tecno and Infinix products if they are running Android 4.0 and above. This means that Tecno N7, Tecno M3, L3, D5,  Phantom A, Phantom A+, Phantom N9, Infinix X570, X530 etc
5. BBM will support iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, iPhone 5C and iPhone 5S.
6. BBM may not be available for iPads for now.
7. BBM will not support Windows Phone devices
8. BBM will use BlackBerry ID to begin operation on your Android and iPhone. So register for your BlackBerry ID from here

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BlackBerry Confirms BBM Release Dates for Android and iPhone

Amidst various speculated dates flowing through the Internet regarding the actual release date of BBM for Android and iPhone is 21st September 2013. This date has been confirmed by BlackBerry.

According to BlackBerry, BBM for Android will land at the Google Play Store on the 20th of September by 7am EST which is on a Saturday, while BBM for iPhone will also land on Apple App Store by 21st of September by 7am EST on a Sunday.

BBM will as earlier said in my post will only support Android phones running Android 4.0 and above and will also only support iPhone running iOS 6.0 and above.

Stay close to this blog to get notification once it drops in these app stores for download.

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Source: COA

Samsung Nigeria Wants BBM for Android Before Others

Samsung Nigeria really wants to have the BBM for Android first on their devices before any other Samsung devices in the world and of course other Android devices. 

To support  the claim above, Samsung Nigeria (@samsungmobileng) made in a tweet late yesterday that Samsung would be getting the BBM app for Android three months ahead of other Android devices when it gets released on Friday 20th September as seen in the image below.

This tweet quickly raised some questions and got some folks confused and even made it look like BlackBerry is playing shady games.

However, on contacting the folks from BlackBerry, it was stated that BBM is not going to be released exclusively to any brand of device but would be available publicly to all Android devices for download in the Google Play Store.

Specifically in BlackBerry's statement:

"The excitement around the upcoming BBM launch on iPhone and Android devices seems to know no bounds. Although I’m a big fan of this passion, I want to clarify that no one will have an exclusive on offering BBM. We’ll be bringing the app to Android and iPhone users across the globe soon."

Apparently some guys over at Samsung Mobile Nigeria is way over his or her head to have made such a false and misleading statement: Perhap for advertising and bullying sake.

See also other articles on BBM for Android and iPhone here 
 

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BBM for Android and iPhone Wrong Assumptions

What we do know is that BBM will become available for Android devices and iPhone come September,  in fact it's in matter of days. 

Sequel to this, many wrong assumptions have been made regarding BBM for Android and iPhone and we are here to state the facts and dispel these wrong assumptions.

1. Some folks believe that BBM for Android will be released to Samsung Android devices first and later to other Android smartphones in days to follow. This assumption above is totally false. 
BBM for Android will be released to Google Play Store and available for download to all compatible Android devices at the same time.

2. I have also read and heard comments of guys saying BBM will be available for $0.99 at the Google Play Store and Apple App Store. This is totally false. No such announcement from BlackBerry.

According to BlackBerry, BBM for Android and iPhone would be available free of charge at the respective app stores.

3. Yet another fallacy is that BBM for Android and iPhone will be available on all types of Android devices and iPhone. 

This is not true.  It will only be available to Android devices running Android 4.0 and above and iPhone running iOS 6.0 and above.  Any Android or iPhone running anything lower is not eligible for BBM.

4. This particular assumption is not cool at all.  It was once said that BBM for Android and iPhone will require BIS subscription just like that of BBOS 7. This is not true.  

BBM for Android and iPhone will not require BIS subscription. It only require that you have an active Internet access on your device. 

This makes sense since BBM for BlackBerry 10 devices don't require a dedicated BIS subscription; just Internet access.

5. Finally, it has being said by some group of people that BBM for Android and iPhone will also be available for Windows Phone like the Nokia Lumia. This is a fallacy and it's totally false. 

BlackBerry hasn't said or implied anything to suggest that BBM will also be available to Windows Phone users and do not have any immediate plans to release one after it releases for Android and iOS devices.

In conclusion, it is normal to have assumptions regarding BBM for Android and iPhone, however,  there are some assumptions that are clearly wrong. I hope this article will address which wrong assumptions you might have conceived.

In matter of days,  BBM will launch for these two most popular mobile operating system, Android and iOS, and will can start using it. 

Already, an event has been slated for Wednesday 18th 2013 by BlackBerry which only means that BBM for Android and iPhone is closer to release than ever considering the leaked BBM apk hours ago.

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7 Days Countdown To BBM on Android and iPhone

We are counting down to the release of BBM for Android and iPhone.

You would recall that BlackBerry Messenger popularly known as BBM has already being seen at events and have been said that it will be reaching the Google Play Store and Apple App Store for download on the 21st of September.

Officially, BBM for Android and iPhone is due to be released end of Summer and we have strong reason to believe that 21st September could be it.

Therefore,  we are counting down to the release of BBM for Android and iPhone.

Are you excited for this release of BBM for all? What is going to happen to your BlackBerry smartphone when BBM becomes available for Android devices and iPhone?

Drop your comments below and come back after its available to see if you were true to your word.

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BlackBerry Sacks More Than Half Its US Sales Employees

A new report in a small statement to the WSJ by the BlackBerry spokesperson confirmed that BlackBerry sacked more than half its US sales force.

According to the report, which originated from CantechLetter, says that the job cut was attributed to the very low sales of BlackBerry devices and "enterprise is gutted." Furthermore, the source says ”I had twenty guys (from BlackBerry) on BBM from sales, and they have all posted alternate emails on their status,”.

According to source, this laying off of sales team would spill over to  the UK soon enough.

This just further enforces that the company is readying itself to go private or get sold or even opt out of smartphones business altogether especially when it was rumored that Fairfax Financial may be looking to take BlackBerry private.

Which ever it is, we shall keep you posted as its happening.

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BBM For iPhone Still Awaiting Approval From Apple

While there is a rumor in the air that BlackBerry would be releasing BBM for Android and iPhone for September 21st, some situations may delay the release of BBM for iPhone by one or two weeks after it gets released to Android device users.

BlackBerry submitted BBM for iPhone to Apple two weeks ago but its still awaiting App Store approval according to Alex Kinsella, Senior Strategic Account Manager at BlackBerry seen from his tweet below.

Usually, the average approval time for  most apps submitted to App Store is about 4 days according to Shiny Development tracker.

Consequently, this delay of BBM for iPhone by Apple raises a little concern, one that needs to be quickly addressed so that Apple fans can get BBM on their devices just like their Android counterpart.

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BBM for Android and iPhone Demo Video Online

A video review demoing how BBM for Android and iPhone will look like and how it operates have surfaced online and was revealed by guys from www.BlackBerryOS.com.

It is no news that BlackBerry will be launching BBM for Android and iPhone come end of September. Well, September is here and it is even more real than yesterday.

BBM for Android is very awesome and it offers the same experience as the one for BlackBerry 10 devices. Check out the video below, see for yourselves and tell us what you think.

By the way, BBM for Android and iPhone is scheduled to launch by September 21st 2013, so stay really close to this blog to immediately know when it drops.

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Video Source: BBOS

BBM For Android & iPhone Not Supported For These Devices

By now, a good number of people know that BlackBerry is releasing the revered BlackBerry Messenger to other platforms before September. This was further reassured by Thorsten Heins at the BBLive conference this morning.

According to Thorsten Heins, BBM would be free of charge to download and use. However, only the messaging and group chat would be rolled put first, followed by BBM Voice, Screen Sharing, Video Capabilities and BBM channels later in the year.

While a lot of folks are very much excited about this soon to be released BBM for Android and iOS, it is important to note that it won't support some devices.

Below are the devices it won't support

1. Any Android device running Android version lower than Ice Cream Sandwich. That is, anything less than Android 4.0 won't be supported.

2. Any iOS device running less than iOS 6.0 won't be supported. That is any iPhone lower than iPhone 3GS won't be supported, iPhone 4 still running iOS 5.1.1 won't be supported. Same goes for the iPads running less than iOS 6.

3. Windows Phone 8 devices are not supported at all.

So what does this mean?

It means that if you are very excited about this move and want to use BBM on your Android or Apple device, you should also make sure that your mobile device meet the requirements to download and use the soon to be released BBM for Android and iOS.

If you want to be among the first to know when BBM is finally available for download endeavour to like our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter for prompt info as it comes.

Samsung Sends Out BBM Download Notification To Customers

BBM for Android is one of the hottest topic in the past few weeks. BBM is still one of the best and of course, oldest messaging service for smartphone.  Therefore it's only natural for this much of anticipation to be seen within smartphone users. 

Samsung,  today announced to its customers that BBM for Android would be available for download on its store; Samsung App Store very soon.

By now, we all know that bringing BBM to Android and iOS is a risk which may end Blackberry's grip on the African market and other markets. However, all we can do is speculate until the BBM app finally gets released and used.

Samsung, always wanting to dominate have released a press statement for its customer as seen below, using Africa as a keyword.

"Samsung to offer BBM in Samsung App store for all GALAXY Smartphone devices


5th August, 2013 – Today, Samsung has announced that the upcoming BBM™ app will be available in the Google Play and the Samsung App store soon and available to all Samsung GALAXY smartphone consumers across Africa.


Says George Ferreira, VP and COO of Samsung Electronics Africa: “At Samsung we are all about collaboration, innovation and driving consumer experience based on choice, value and customisation to suit every lifestyle. As such, bringing a top tier messaging service such as BBM is another way that we are expanding the catalogue of our messaging services and offering customers an amazing way to stay instantly connected with colleagues, friends and family.”


BBM will form part of Samsung Messaging Hub as a complementary addition to the current slate of propriety and third party messaging services that Samsung customers enjoy – all aimed at empowering consumers to connect with each other in better ways using text messaging. Offering BBM on GALAXY smartphones in Africa will give Samsung customers access to the BBM social network, including BBM chats, multi-person chats and and BBM Groups, which allows BBM customers to create groups of up to 30 people, as well as the ability to share photos and voice notes.


“It is important to strike a balance between developing high-tech smartphones that carry brands in to the future and creating a sustainable ecosystem that primarily supports the needs of consumers that use these devices. Value added services are considered a prerequisite in the fast-paced, challenging environment that exists today and as a result, we will continue to drive innovation through our smart hub functionalities to ensure our consumers have the choice which they desire,” concludes Ferreira.


“BBM provides one of the best and most robust mobile messaging experiences today. BBM has always set the standard for mobile instant messaging and we are thrilled to bring this experience to Samsung customers across Africa,” said Andrew Bocking, Executive Vice President BBM at BlackBerry. “BBM is loved by people who rely on fast, trusted messaging, along with the immediacy that our delivered and read statuses bring. Samsung customers will soon join the BBM nation in its love of the “D” and “R” notifications.”

BBM to Android and iOS users will be even bigger if all features seen in the native smartphone is implemented.

Stay tuned here for prompt information on all BBM related gists. Like our Facebook page here to be in the know

BBM For Android Real Images Released

The fuss about Blackberry Messenger (BBM) coming to Android and iPhone is a very interesting one. As we stated in one of our posts, BBM for Android and iOS is expected to be released before September ending.

Already, real image of BBM for Android only have surfaced, which we saw at BGR website, and this we present to you below.

Although we believe that BBM for other platforms should have been available long before now, yet, better late than ever.

The real question is, will BBM for Android and iOS kill the strong hold that Whatsapp already have on these platforms? If you think so, drop your comments. However, Lets wait and see how things unfold  in the coming weeks.  Till then, stay glued to this blog site and follow us on Twitter and Facebook to be among the first the get it before your other friends...bragging rights of at least 10 seconds is still bragging.

Image Source: BGR, BBOS

Wish Granted: BBM for Android and iPhone

 

Blackberry Messenger popularly known as BBM is now making its way to Android and iPhones as earlier announced by the Canadian company CEO Heins.

According to the CEO, BBM would be available before the end of summer which translate to before the end of September 2013.

This stance was further strengthened by the tweet that was seen on Twitter few hours back as shown in the image below.

This strongly suggest that BBM for Android and iPhone may be ready for release sooner than September.

A lot of folks can't wait for this to drop. In fact there have been several images on peoples wall showing what the Blackberry Messenger for iPhone and Android would look like. Examples are shown below.

Of course these images are just to show how expectant people are but may not be the real deal.

As always, we are waiting eagerly for when this would officially hit the App Store of both Android and Apple.

Follow us on Twitter and Facebook the be among the first to know when this BBM finally gets released.

Finally BlackBerry For Android Gets a Released Date

Since the day that CEO of BlackBerry announced that BBM for android and iOS Would be available, the anticipation to have the app running on said devices have grown strongly.

This was made even more obvious when a fake BBM app was released on the Google play store with  100,000 downloads within minutes.

In an interview yesterday,  one of Blackberry official spoke:  Sunil Lalvani, managing director for BlackBerry India, apparently confirmed in an interview with IBN Live that BlackBerry Messenger will launch in the next two months. 

When  asked of the release date he said that BBM for Android would be ready before the end of summer which is before the end of September.

This he said affirming strongly that Blackberry intends to release first for the Android platform and then later for iOS.

This means that our wait time is almost over and we soon have the BBM for android in our hands in less than two months.

Until then, stay glued and follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook to be among the first to know when it becomes available and speedily download before the servers jams.