BlackBerry’s BBM for Android and iOS landing page was briefly claiming the service had launched, despite there still being no release date.
Although BlackBerry hasn’t officially said when BBM will launch for iOS and Android, it seems that the service could be with us imminently. Currently, BlackBerry is saying the multi-platform BBM will launch this summer, but other rumours suggest the BBM for iPhone and Android release date will lie in September.
The dedicated landing page for the upcoming multi-platform service suddenly declared that “BBM for Android and iPhone is here”, and offered clickable links to download BBM for iPhones and Android devices.
However, this has since been changed to “BBM is coming to Android and iPhone”, as it was originally.
The launch page also detailed that BBM for Android and iPhone will lack certain features at launch, including BBM Voice, BBM Video and screen sharing features. These new features were introduced in the last couple of BBM updates for BlackBerry devices, but will be included in the iPhone and Android versions later this autumn.
Of course, BlackBerry quickly removed the updated launch page when it realised the mistake, but it wasn’t quite quick enough to stop several sources spotting it.
“We think there is a great opportunity in bringing BBM to other platforms as people look for the right service to have even more engaged conversations on their smartphones”, said one BlackBerry spokesperson. “People are also becoming leery of how they share their personal information and mobile communication services need to be built for that. They are also looking for a simple, customizable interface and BBM brings that.”
TrustedReviews has contacted BlackBerry for any further information on the BBM release date.
BlackBerry is reportedly seeking to make BBM a separate company as part of the “strategic alternatives” being looked at for the future of the Canadian company.
The potential financial moves, which could also see BlackBerry become a private company, would mean BBM would become its own entity.
The report also suggested that BBM could be coming to desktop platforms in the near future, making it a closer rival to the likes of iMessage, Google Hangouts and WhatsApp.
However, BlackBerry declined to comment on such speculation.
“We have announced our plans to offer this trusted mobile messaging service to iPhone and Android users sometime this summer. We have made no further announcements. We haven’t announced any initiatives to bring BBM to the desktop.”
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Via: Engadget
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
