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While we’re awaiting for the Canadian-bred Blackberry to follow through on their promise to deliver BBM for Android by the end of this summer, we’ve been wondering when we’d finally be able to take a look at the application. After an early scare suggesting their Android app would be poorly designed (that was since debunked), we’ve been keeping our fingers crossed that Blackberry doesn’t screw this up.
Well, we’ve finally gotten our first sneak peak at what to expect whenever the company eventually rolls out this premium messaging service to Android (and iOS). BlackberryOS.com was able to give us our first look of the app running on an HTC First, the AT&T phone that comes with Facebook’s Home user interface by default.
This is a fully-featured affair from what we can tell, with the Android version of Blackberry offering up nearly everything that you can get on the current Blackberry 10 version of the app (with the exception of being able to tag your posts with your location).
Hell, even the user interface mimics that of the Blackberry 10 version’s down to the on-screen back button and the menu sliding in from the right. There isn’t much Holo to be found here, though we hope that’ll change in the future. Grab a look in the video above.
Two years ago, this would have brilliant two years ago. Better late than never?
I….think it is to late for the many few that don’t own a blackberry.
But yes I agree around 2 years ago it would have been more successful.
Thats Apples moto.
Why should I use this?
BBM is much more robust in features and performance than ANY cross platform messaging app. In addition to basic contact messaging, the groups feature is a full fledged mini collaboration area where you not only have group chats and share pics&video but also task lists and calendar events just for that group. BBM Video & BBM Voice (coming later in the fall) is real-time two-way bandwidth video conferencing unlike the sequential and choppy Skype without having to leave the chat screen. BBM screen share is crazy…you can have someone on another phone watch what your are doing on your phone.
BTW did you know In WhatsApp the check marks mean:
One Check – message successfully delivered to the server.
Two Checks – message successfully delivered to the phone of your chat partner.
THERE IS NO confirmation when your chat partner reads your message
This is compared to BBM where: you have three different icons:
Check mark – Message has been sent to server
Check mark with letter D – Message has been delivered to chat partner’s phone
Check mark with letter R – Message has been READ by chat partner
At the time this was announced, I still had friends with Blackberry phones. They have since all moved to Android, so now I have no use for this application. But I’ll probably still get it just for the hell of it.
What about the pin?
yawn
Id make jokes about bring ICQ to android but i think thats actually a thing
ICQ just reminds me of how I had nobody to chat with :'(
The ICQ ‘uh oh’ sound is my text notification :p
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6iCPIUGnHQ8
Cant wait to get this on my N4.Looks good.
I’m so looking forward to his….. Said no one ever.
I’m definitely looking forward to it and I’m not the only one considering the fake BBM app had a million downloads on the first day.
Well, at least no 13-year-olds.
hey if they guarantee the government can’t spy on you this could work for them being they are known for their security
Along with Microsoft buying Nokia, this falls into the “too little too late department”.
how does this work as far as a pin#? do they issue out a blackberry pin#? or do you just sign up with email. i use to like that i could give out my pin without any of my other info?
Yes you sign-up for a Blackberry ID. Rumor has it that if you had a previous BBID then all your contacts from back then will be ported over.
I don’t know anyone who still has a BB left to BBM on. I don’t hear them complaining about how they want BBM on their new phone either.
You’re not getting it…this is competing with WhatsApp, KIK, etc. BBM is much more robust in features and performance than ANY cross platform messaging app. In addition to basic contact messaging, the groups feature is a full fledged mini collaboration area where you not only have group chats and share pics&video but also task lists and calendar events just for that group. BBM Video & BBM Voice (coming later in the fall for Android/iOS) is real-time two-way bandwidth video conferencing unlike the sequential and choppy Skype without having to leave the chat screen. BBM screen share is crazy…you can have someone on another phone watch what your are doing on your phone.
BTW did you know In WhatsApp the check marks mean:
One Check – message successfully delivered to the server.
Two Checks – message successfully delivered to the phone of your chat partner.
THERE IS NO confirmation when your chat partner reads your message
This is compared to BBM where: you have three different icons:
Check mark – Message has been sent to server
Check mark with letter D – Message has been delivered to chat partner’s phone
Check mark with letter R – Message has been READ by chat partner
Hangouts? Other than the accountability piece, which to me is just weird, unnecessary and pointless (wow, I READ something, still not going to do anything about it…), can Hangouts not accomplish the same?
I guess there must be an audience for BBM on Android/iOS, however the audience is probably not anywhere the size it was in 2003-07 while BB enjoyed the high life.
Hangouts is probably the closet thing out there that is trying to be as ambitious as BBM in terms of the breadth and depth of features. But remember with Google YOU are the product and there is NOTHING that isn’t shared and tracked.
I don’t like being the PRODUCT. Makes it a stalker’s dream! I’m too excited about BBM for android, missed it terrible! Anyone that ever had a BB will tell your bbm is the greatest and most awesome thing ever.
Well, of course all these companies make their decisions based on what the people YOU KNOW are doing. What country do you live in? Are you aware that there are other countries? In much of the rest of the world BBM is a viable platform.
“But I swear I have never inhaled” hahaha
Jim is right. For the nay-sayers out there that have never used BBM, you should give it a try before condemning it. BBM is far better than ANY messaging app available. Yes BlackBerry as a company is biting the dust, but had they not had BBM to save their asses, it would’ve been over for them long ago…that’s how valuable BBM is to BlackBerry. And for good reason because it offers tons of features that Whatsapp and others do not, especially in groups. Try it and you’ll see.
You know, I was super excited about BBM for Android…before Hangouts anyway. Now I’m failing to see BBM as anything I would even want. I get that it has its fans, but the same old story with BlackBerry is that they are just too darn late to the game to really make an impact. If they really wanted this to take off it should have been out a year ago to have a chance of going anywhere.
I wonder what will happen to this app when BlackBerry goes bust.
I can’t wait to get bbm on my SG4. Does anyone have a video with bbm running on a sg4? It will be great to finally use BBM again as all the other messaging apps just suck and doesn’t come close to bbm. Not getting all this hate by the loser fan boys who don’t have girlfriends. Funny enough all us girls will be on BBM.