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About six months ago, BBM for Android and iOS was announced. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: BBM is the one thing that BlackBerry can be totally proud of. Outages notwithstanding. Of course, we know just how limited you can be with using BBM, as BlackBerry phones are not exactly the most popular units out there, but with the app finally available for the two other mobile platforms, BBM just might get a boost. And, if the numbers released by BlackBerry are accurate, they might just have a hit on their hands.
According to BlackBerry, BBM for Android and iOS was downloaded over 10 million times in merely 24 hours. Just as quickly, the free app topped the App Store’s charts, although the American Play Store seems more difficult for BBM.
Even the harshest BlackBerry critic has to give them a thumbs up for those numbers, yes?
Going past the impressive download numbers, though, BBM for Android and iOS still has to live up to its competition. The messaging niche is a crowded one, and while BBM has been around for many years, it has its work cut out for it, especially in the iOS and Android realms.
This is where issues do crop up as the cross-platform app is nothing like the original BBM. Naturally, it fits the latest BlackBerry OS, BB10, and early users have been free in mentioning how confusing the interface can be.
BBM for Android and iOS does retain its core features, some of which are not available in the popular messaging apps today. Remember how you can “ping” or “buzz” the person you are chatting with on Yahoo Messenger, for example? The original BBM had this, and this feature remains in the cross-platform version.
On the downside – which seems to outweigh the positives – BBM for Android and iOS has no video sharing and other fun features like Stickers. You can’t make voice calls. You can’t share contacts or calendar events either. Rumor has it that video and voice calls are coming in the next months, though.
The verdict
While it may be too early to give a verdict, initial impressions don’t bode well for BBM. Aside from the download numbers, there might not be much to keep BBM for Android and iOS to keep going.
[Image via tech2]