BBM: An Incredible First Week on Android and iPhone, 20 million new subscibers!

In a world filled with free communication apps like Viber, WhatsApp, Facebook (and Messenger), Google Hangouts and iMessage, BlackBerry Messenger was able to carve a serious user base for itself it just a week.

Since the BBM rollout on iOS and Android resumed 7 days ago, BBM has gathered 20 million new users.

That’s active users and not just downloads and is a serious step up from the 5 million in the opening 8 hours of up time.

BlackBerry has also announced that it has removed the waiting in line on iOS and Android and users can now activate BBM right away.

BBM is regarded as a top tier communication tool. It features a more secure way of sharing your information (not everyone that has your mobile number can see your information), as well as delivered and read statuses.

BlackBerry Messenger beta for iOS and Android invites rolling out

The long-rumored BlackBerry Messenger is finally launching on iOS and Android before the end of summer (so before September 22). It looks like the software is coming along nicely as Canada’s embattled smartphone maker has started rolling out invites to a small number of users on its Beta Zone website, asking them to test out the Android and iOS versions of the software…

As reported by BlackBerryOS.com, the program is not yet available for everyone.

Some users with a BlackBerry ID reported receiving an email invitation seen top of post. The first BBM beta is available under the Eligible Programs section.

The beta app requires an iOS 6 or Android Ice Cream Sandwich device. BBM for iOS and Android is slated for worldwide release later this summer, the email notice reads.

MobileSyrup previously said the free cross-platform app will initially include basic messaging and group chatting features. Advanced capabilities such as voice, screen sharing and the BBM Channels will be added via future updates.

I fear it may be too late for BBM now. The IM landscape is a pretty crowded space divided between Apple’s iMessage, Google’s new Hangouts app, Whats App and Viber.

Will you be giving BBM on your iPhone a try once it goes public?

BBM coming to iOS and Android this Summer!

BlackBerry’s BBM messaging service is finally coming to Android and iOS. The long-rumoured release of BBM on handsets other than BlackBerry’s own was announced by CEO Thorsten Heins on stage at the BlackBerry Live conference in Orlando, Florida

“We are making the BBM platform more powerful than ever. We want to offer this powerful mobile service to everyone,” said Heins.

Any iPhone running iOS 6 or later will be able to download BBM. Android handsets need to be using Ice Cream Sandwich or Jelly Bean in order for BBM to work. BBM will also be free on both iPhone and Android.

“We are committed to making BBM on other platforms as fully featured as we can,” explained Heins, who was keen to emphasise that the messaging service would still be best on BlackBerry’s own handsets.

“Of course BBM on blackberry will be the premier experience,” said Heins. “It’s a statement of confidence.”

The CEO explained that the company was so confident with BlackBerry 10’s success that it wasn’t worried about sharing its premier draw, BBM, with other operating systems.

The rollout will begin in the summer with BBM in its most basic form. Messaging and groups will be available on Android and iOS, with video and screen sharing coming later in the year. The just announced BBM Channels should also arrive in 2013.

BB announces the BlackBerry Q5 for emerging markets

The start of the BlackBerry Live 2013 annual conference today in Orlando, USA, saw the announcement of the BlackBerry Q5 – a QWERTY device for emerging markets.

The Blackberry Q5 revolves around a 3.1-inch touchscreen and one of BlackBerry’s classic physical QWERTY keyboards, which they are so proud of. The screen has an unusual resolution of 720 x 720px – the same as on the Q10, but this time it’s an LCD unit. Inside the BlackBerry Q5 there’s a dual-core 1.2Ghz CPU and 8 gigs worth of storage. There’s a microSD slot to expand that, but the battery is not removable.

The new BlackBerry Q5 will be available in selected markets in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia (including the Asia Pacific region), and Latin America, with availability beginning in July. The smartphone will be offered in black, white, red and pink.

Another announcement that came from the today’s keynote is that the BlackBerry 10.1 update is now ready to seed to the BlackBerry Z10 (later this month in the US). Not only that, but starting today, Skype will be available to all users who update their Z10s to v10.1.