No Android Apps or Flash Support for Blackberry 7
Most of us remember the hype surrounding RIM’s BlackBerry Playbook and how it’s QNX OS would allow users to load Android apps for use on the tablet. I know how excited some of my developer friends were about this possible new prospect. Given the similarities between Android’s Dalvik VM and RIM’s Java based system it seemed like an easy transition. However, the Playbook was eventually released without the touted Android capabilities to many people’s dismay.
Fast forward to today where RIM announced the details of their new BlackBerry 7 OS and although many hoped it would offer some core features from the QNX operating system (Android app compatibility?) – it fell short. RIM officially confirmed today that there will be no Android apps (or even Flash for that matter) on the new soon to be released BlackBerry 7 OS update.
However, Android apps aren’t entirely off the table just yet. According to RIM’s vice president of handheld software product management, Andrew Bocking, the new QNX OS may soon come to handhelds, the only problem is they will need to feature a dual-core processor which RIM doesn’t offer at the moment. He did mention they are hard at work on a more portable cellphone version of the OS and although nowhere near ready you can expect to hear more about it later this year.
What do you guys think at the possibility of a BlackBerry phone running Android apps? Is this something you would be interested in? Or will it be shunned like an Android red-headed step child?
[Via PCMag]