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BBM Coming To iOS and Android

Posted by Soulskill on from the giving-away-the-advantage dept.

grub writes writes with news that BlackBerry CEO Thorsten Heins has announced that BBM (BlackBerry Messenger, one of the favorite features of BlackBerry device-owners) will soon be coming to rival mobile operating systems. Devices running iOS 6 and Android ICS or later will be supported, pending approval with the App Store and Google Play. "BBM uses carrier data networks to pass secure messages back and forth through its servers to other BlackBerry users. The service recently gained the ability to make phone calls, conduct video chats and even share screen tops with other BBM users (requires BlackBerry 10). Normal chat and group chats will be the first features to hit the Android and iOS BBM apps, followed by the others (including voice and video) during the course of the year. BBM for Android and iOS will be free." The company also unveiled a new smartphone today: the Q5. It's a budget device intended for emerging markets.

3 of 146 comments (clear)

  1. It was inevitable ... by perpenso · · Score: 5, Interesting

    It was inevitable, BBM was too important to fade away with the handset business. I wonder if this had anything to do with approving iOS and Android for use by certain governmental agencies (DoD, etc).

    1. Re:It was inevitable ... by gstoddart · · Score: 5, Insightful

      It was inevitable, BBM was too important to fade away with the handset business

      So, I'll admit my ignorance up front before I ask ... why was it too important?

      It's basically a proprietary version of SMS isn't it? And as I recall they've bent over for the Indian government and probably others to allow a MITM-type interception, and have probably done it for others now that they've set the precedent.

      So, what benefit is there to me as someone with an Android phone to be able to use BBM? Does it actually get me something extra that I don't have now?

      This seems more like a desperate attempt to make one of their few distinguishing features available to others, but I'm just not sure of what the benefit of that feature is for most people.

      --
      Lost at C:>. Found at C.
  2. Excellent! by Radagast · · Score: 5, Funny

    Now I can use this supremely user-friendly chat system that assigns me a random 8-digit hex string as an ID on my iPhone!

    --
    --Joakim Ziegler