After a long wait, we’re finally getting close to a BBM app for Windows Phone with the closed beta having been opened up to a wider audience.
BlackBerry may be on its last legs in terms of producing phones, but BBM is still very popular, with news of versions of the app for Android and Windows Phone creating huge levels of anticipation.
“We’ve gotten an incredible number of requests for BBM to come to Windows Phone. In the coming weeks we’ll be ready to welcome millions of Windows Phone users to the growing BBM community,” wrote head of product marketing Jeff Gadway on the BlackBerry blog.
BlackBerry has announced that it is opening up the beta version of the Windows Phone app on the blog, with those wanting to get involved needing to sign up over at the BlackBerry beta zone.
At the time of writing, the supposedly open beta seems to have filled up once more, but check back as this may change.
For those unfamiliar with BBM, it functions rather like Whatsapp, letting you connect to people easily, to chat or send pictures. The new BBM version keeps the look of Windows Phone, as with many Windows apps.
BBM groups can contain up to 50 people, letting you talk to a whole group of friends at once.
However, not all BBM features have been patched into the Windows Phone version yet. Things like voice chat, BBM channels and location sharing will be added in an update.
Windows Phone is one of the last mobile platforms to get in on the BBM action, as both Android and iPhone got the app back in October 2013.
In March 2014, BlackBerry announced it has 85 million active users of BBM. It’s well below the 500-plus million Whatsapp commands, but isn’t too shabby for a company otherwise considered to be on the wane.
Next, read our best Whatsapp alternatives round-up
Editorial independence
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.
Editorial independence
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.
