Hey Guys..!!! You might came
to know that the Android Apk of Blackberry
Messenger (BBM) leaks out yesterday and Yes, you can
download
Blackberry Messenger for Android and install it right now.
But the
problem is that its not working currently, since its not an official launch. But
you can sign up and as i also tried it on my Nexus 4 and I successfully
registered my E-Mail id on Blackberry
Messenger (BBM). The APK is
actually quite useless as when you log in, it won’t connect to Blackberry
Services, the network used to push all these bits and bytes around
in real time.
The app is expected to have
many of the features that are on BlackBerry devices. This includes the ability
to send text and voice messages. Below is a demo from
BlackBerryOS.com.
What is
BBM?
BlackBerry
Messenger or BBM as it is commonly known was one of the first mainstream
instant-messaging services on smartphones. The app comes preloaded onto
BlackBerry devices allowing users to call, text, video chat and share screens
with other BlackBerry users via 3G and free over Wi-Fi.
Using the BlackBerry Group
feature, you can privately share calendar events, photos and other documents
with up to 30 other BBM users.
How does it
work?
Each BlackBerry devices is
assigned a unique PIN – which acts as contact number. In theory these PIN-to-PIN
messages are as secure as they come. Despite being able to send and receive
messages in seconds, there is a complex four-step process for each
message:
1. The first stop for a BBM
PIN-to-PIN message is the user's mobile network.
2. The operator then forwards
the message to a BlackBerry relay station in Canada.
3. From here message is
transferred to BlackBerry’s mobile service provider
4. Finally, the (receiving)
mobile service provider then transmits the message to the recipient.
Why is
BlackBerry rolling out BBM to iOS and Android users now?
Blackberry is struggling to
gain traction in the smartphone market, having spent the bulk of 2012 designing
its BlackBerry 10 operating system. The firm lost many of its users to Android
and iOS operating systems during this time.
Applications such as WhatsApp,
which allow users to communicate over-cross platforms have also become hugely
popular and at this moment in time are more useful than BBM.
BBM has an active user base of
60 million, compared to 200 million for WhatsApp. BlackBerry is hoping that by
extending its app to Android and iOS, users will be encourage to buy its
devices.
Will the Android and iOS
versions have all the same features and functionality?
For the most part yes. iOS and
Android users would be carry out all the regular BBM messaging services. The app
will also allow them to share photos and voice notes, and engage in BBM Groups
chats containing up to 30 people.
iOS and Android users will be
able to add their contacts through PIN, email, SMS or QR code scan. BlackBerry
says that Android users will also be able to connect using a compatible
NFC-capable device.
Release date and
pricing
The release date hasn’t been
confirmed yet. T-Mobile posted a tweet claiming it would launch on 27 June, but
BlackBerry moved quickly to quash this. However, based on reports the release is
likely to be days or weeks before it’s launched, rather than
months.
Once released, the BBM app
will be available for free from the respective app store.
You’ll have
to use it on a whitelisted device in order to get it to work but You can
download it anyway if you just want to check it out. Grab it here, poke it a
few times,then let it rest as we await the real deal in the days to
come.