Tag: BBM

The second half of 2015 may see a new device from the handset maker, based on Google’s mobile operating system.

The rumors are flying and reports are coming from every direction, suggesting that BlackBerry smartphones will soon have Android operating systems, despite the fact that at the time that this article was written, the company and its CEO have, so far, not confirmed any of the speculations.

The reports have now indicated that multiple smartphone models will be rolled out this year, using Android.

Though officially unconfirmed, virtually every sign is now indicating that BlackBerry smartphones will soon be produced based on the Android operating system. The company has even gone to the extent of purchasing two domain names “AndroidSecured.com” and “AndroidSecured.net”, which have to do with a statement that CEO John Chen had previously made on the subject. When asked if his company would be making mobile devices based on Android, his reply was that it would happen only if Google’s mobile operating system could be made to be far more secure.

BlackBerry smartphones operating on Android would still maintain some of the company’s own software functions.

Even though it would have a different operating system, there would still be signs of the BlackBerry OS in terms of the software functions as well as the applications services, for example: BBM, BES12, and BlackBerry Blend. This according to a number of sources that have been reported by the media, but who have remained unnamed. They are, supposedly, from Foxconn, the manufacturer of the devices.

In order to boost the hardware’s competitive edge, BlackBerry has also broadened its hardware partnerships in order to include Wistron and Compal Electronics, in addition to the partner that it already has, Foxconn.

Many analysts in the industry feel that if Blackberry smartphones are rolled out with Android, it is very unlikely that the company will face losses as a result. The company does still maintain a strong brand image in a range of different markets. Moreover, its reputation in terms of security – particularly from its enterprise side – is essentially unparalleled. However, it is more than evident that changes need to be made in order to boost the value of the hardware business unit at BlackBerry, and to many, it feels as though this could be the move that would make that difference.

The BlackBerry Messenger application has now passed this vital milestone since its launch in 2013.

It has been a year and a half since the BBM mobile app first became available on the Google Play store so that it could be used by Android device owners, and now it has broken past a very important milestone, having reached 100 million downloads.

The BBM stickers have also been making some important progress, as they have been sent over one billion times.

Users on Android devices are hooked on the mobile app stickers from BBM, as they have sent them over one billion times in a period of a year and a half. This, and the increase in the downloads of the messenger app has, according to BlackBerry, helped to illustrate the “tremendous momentum” of their instant messaging service. That said, it is important to point out that the number of active users and the number of people who downloaded the service are not exactly the same thing.

The comments from BlackBerry about the popularity of the mobile app shows a considerable and ongoing confidence.

The company has revealed that it strongly believes that its own efforts will continue to help it to push its mobile messenger app figures higher and it will work to take advantage of this considerable momentum.

Comparatively, when looking at other messenger application brands, such as ChatON from Samsung, that service has also broken the 100 million download mark at Android, but at the same time, it is not even being seen as valuable enough to be worthy of continuing onward. Samsung will be shutting down that service before the end of this year.

Equally, WhatsApp currently has 700 million active monthly users – not just downloads – and they exchange an average daily 30 billion messages. That represents a usage that is 50 percent greater than the international SMS message market.

Therefore, while the progress being made by the BBM mobile app should not be ignored, it is the growth that is important, not the actual milestone, so far, as it will have a long way to go before it can be considered a complete turnaround in this area, as well.