1. psskid's Avatar
    What are the chances that BlackBerry will remove the Android run time in the next update ?

    I keep hearing about the deal that BlackBerry made with Google to not update the run time so they can launch the PRIV.

    Posted via CB10
    05-28-16 05:18 PM
  2. conite's Avatar
    They already announced that it will remain, but is not changed from the current version.
    05-28-16 05:30 PM
  3. psskid's Avatar
    Good, I just installed Cobalt and it works great.. gives me the best of both worlds. BlackBerry OS with Android Apps.

    Posted via CB10
    vpblaze likes this.
    05-29-16 12:20 AM
  4. kubosh's Avatar
    Currently is 4.3 and i dont think that they can remove AR.
    05-31-16 05:29 AM
  5. 3yE's Avatar
    My banking app forces me to update it to the newest version otherwise the app no longer works....and the latest version requires Android 4.4 at least.
    Started to feel the pain but fortunately, I still can use the mobile web version.

    Posted via Passport Silver Edition 
    06-01-16 02:13 AM
  6. morfinpower's Avatar
    Why is it so hard to update the hotdamn Android run time...WTF

    Via-Blackberry Passport Silver Edition
    06-01-16 09:48 AM
  7. joeldf's Avatar
    Why is it so hard to update the hotdamn Android run time...WTF

    Via-Blackberry Passport Silver Edition
    Been discussed many times on this forum.

    Because the Priv is now using full Android with Google Play Services.

    To do that, BlackBerry had to agree to Google's terms. Google doesn't like OEMs running forked versions of Android. Google apparently will allow BlackBerry to use GPS on the Priv, but the trade off seems to be that BlackBerry can't update the runtime in BB10 beyond where they were at the time of the agreement. I figured that was last Spring when the Priv was in early development and intended to be an Android phone all along.

    So, 4.3 is where it's stuck at.

    Posted via CB10
    06-01-16 10:01 AM
  8. psskid's Avatar
    Question then becomes, how many Android phones are still running 4.3? I assume there are many.


    Posted via CB10
    06-01-16 10:40 AM
  9. conite's Avatar
    Question then becomes, how many Android phones are still running 4.3? I assume there are many.


    Posted via CB10
    Less than 25% use Jellybean and prior. Many of those are mostly sitting in drawers.
    06-01-16 10:46 AM
  10. brookie229's Avatar
    Many of those are mostly sitting in drawers.
    I would question this statement. Are not those stats available showing "active" android devices. I am only guessing that North America, Europe and the "Western World" have very few 4.3 users but emerging markets may hold huge numbers of 4.3 and prior devices. This is one reason why I continue to believe that certain apps (WhatsApp comes to mind) that are widely used in these emerging market areas will continue to support Jellybean and prior builds for quite some time. I could be totally wrong about this, time will tell.
    06-01-16 12:39 PM
  11. conite's Avatar
    I would question this statement. Are not those stats available showing "active" android devices. I am only guessing that North America, Europe and the "Western World" have very few 4.3 users but emerging markets may hold huge numbers of 4.3 and prior devices. This is one reason why I continue to believe that certain apps (WhatsApp comes to mind) that are widely used in these emerging market areas will continue to support Jellybean and prior builds for quite some time. I could be totally wrong about this, time will tell.
    I would expand my comment to read that many would be secondary devices given to kids, old tablets sitting around the house, and a number in emerging markets. But the Jellybean and under numbers are dropping rather quickly. By the time WhatsApp discontinues BB10 support, it may be down to 10 or 15%.
    06-01-16 12:53 PM
  12. brookie229's Avatar
    I would expand my comment to read that many would be secondary devices given to kids, old tablets sitting around the house, and a number in emerging markets. But the Jellybean and under numbers are dropping rather quickly. By the time WhatsApp discontinues BB10 support, it may be down to 10 or 15%.
    There are countless android useage stat sites but I was checking here: ? Android version market share 2016 | Statistic and it looks like Jellybean (4.2 and 4.3) is already down to about 13%, and I would agree that many are secondary devices but still that is a LOT of devices in pure numbers. I can see 4.3 being ok for WhatsApp for a couple of years yet but we will see in time I guess.
    06-01-16 01:02 PM
  13. Soulstream's Avatar
    There are countless android useage stat sites but I was checking here: ? Android version market share 2016 | Statistic and it looks like Jellybean (4.2 and 4.3) is already down to about 13%, and I would agree that many are secondary devices but still that is a LOT of devices in pure numbers. I can see 4.3 being ok for WhatsApp for a couple of years yet but we will see in time I guess.
    you can also always check the official source: https://developer.android.com/about/...rds/index.html

    The thing is, old version numbers are dropping pretty fast. Some apps may not break now, but with every year the BB10 Android runtime will become more more more useless.

    So right now, 4.3 and under are on about 25% of devices, but in 1-2 years i think that percentage will drop to under 10 percent as old devices will break or be replaced.
    06-01-16 02:05 PM
  14. brookie229's Avatar
    you can also always check the official source: https://developer.android.com/about/...rds/index.html

    The thing is, old version numbers are dropping pretty fast. Some apps may not break now, but with every year the BB10 Android runtime will become more more more useless.

    So right now, 4.3 and under are on about 25% of devices, but in 1-2 years i think that percentage will drop to under 10 percent as old devices will break or be replaced.
    Agreed. I replied to Conite's statement when he said "many of those are mostly sitting in drawers" of which I am in doubt. A quote from the site that you just referenced states: "Each snapshot of data represents all the devices that visited the Google Play Store in the prior 7 days." . This implies to me that those Gingerbread and Jellybean devices came out of those drawers at some point in that 7 day period. Even at 10% we are still talking probably 100 million devices, maybe more. I still believe 4.3 will be viable for WhatsApp for a good deal of time. Not so long though for many, many other apps that are used in mature markets. People in poorer areas of the world cannot afford to buy the newest android devices and many of those devices cannot be updated. I realize, though, that these devices are getting more and more affordable but many people still cannot even afford a $100 device.
    06-01-16 02:57 PM
  15. Soulstream's Avatar
    Agreed. I replied to Conite's statement when he said "many of those are mostly sitting in drawers" of which I am in doubt. A quote from the site that you just referenced states: "Each snapshot of data represents all the devices that visited the Google Play Store in the prior 7 days." . This implies to me that those Gingerbread and Jellybean devices came out of those drawers at some point in that 7 day period. Even at 10% we are still talking probably 100 million devices, maybe more. I still believe 4.3 will be viable for WhatsApp for a good deal of time. Not so long though for many, many other apps that are used in mature markets. People in poorer areas of the world cannot afford to buy the newest android devices and many of those devices cannot be updated. I realize, though, that these devices are getting more and more affordable but many people still cannot even afford a $100 device.
    The thing is each app has the metrics for how many users that installed the app use a certain os version. so while 10% might be 100 million, for whatsapp that may actually be under 1 million users (random estimation, I have no idea of actual numbers). So if they want to use some API from 4.4 they might be willing to do that if the number is very low.

    Another thing might also be geographical distribution. I am willing to bet that lots of those old androids are NOT in developed markets. So if an app is popular in certain geographical region where most phones are newer they again might be inclined to update the app (there have been a few cases where users on CB complained that a certain app started requiring 4.4).
    06-01-16 03:05 PM
  16. brookie229's Avatar
    Another thing might also be geographical distribution. I am willing to bet that lots of those old androids are NOT in developed markets.
    Interesting. I am of the complete opposite thinking. I conclude (perhaps wrongly) that poorer regions would have a much higher proportion of older, non upgradeable devices just because those people could afford cheaper second hand, older devices. But I totally agree that geographical distribution plays a part and we are seeing more and more complaints about that 4.4 requirement. That problem is just getting worse by the day.
    06-01-16 04:08 PM
  17. Ment's Avatar
    Interesting. I am of the complete opposite thinking. I conclude (perhaps wrongly) that poorer regions would have a much higher proportion of older, non upgradeable devices just because those people could afford cheaper second hand, older devices. But I totally agree that geographical distribution plays a part and we are seeing more and more complaints about that 4.4 requirement. That problem is just getting worse by the day.
    I think in emerging countries, while poor people may not upgrade as often the barrier to a more current OS is not that great anymore. Lots of upgrades possibilities to a capable $75-100 Android 5.0+ with Leap specs where in developed countries the upgrade is to a $300+ device.
    06-01-16 04:17 PM
  18. brookie229's Avatar
    I think in emerging countries, while poor people may not upgrade as often the barrier to a more current OS is not that great anymore. Lots of upgrades possibilities to a capable $75-100 Android 5.0+ with Leap specs where in developed countries the upgrade is to a $300+ device.
    Maybe that is the case.
    06-01-16 04:22 PM
  19. psskid's Avatar
    So I guess the next question is...
    Does it matter where you get the apk? In other words,, Amazon vs snap vs Cobalt vs apk train. Do they auto detect the version of Android you have? How backward compatible are the apps?

    Posted via CB10
    06-01-16 08:22 PM
  20. brookie229's Avatar
    So I guess the next question is...
    Does it matter where you get the apk? In other words,, Amazon vs snap vs Cobalt vs apk train. Do they auto detect the version of Android you have? How backward compatible are the apps?

    Posted via CB10
    It doesn't matter where you get the apk's other than for safety. Google Play and Amazon are probably the safest. Other app stores could cause problems. There have been some shady apps originating from places like 1mobile for instance. I am testing out Aptoide right now on a spare z10. There are no guarantees from any of these app stores however because like any store bad apps can and have been found. Aptoide (and others) do quite often offer older versions of apps that can come in useful at times. And yes, your android runtime is auto detected.
    06-01-16 08:45 PM
  21. conite's Avatar
    So I guess the next question is...
    Does it matter where you get the apk? In other words,, Amazon vs snap vs Cobalt vs apk train. Do they auto detect the version of Android you have? How backward compatible are the apps?

    Posted via CB10
    Cobalt's modified Google Play Store only allows you to download an apk made for the BB10 Runtime (Android 4.3).
    06-01-16 10:15 PM
  22. psskid's Avatar
    OK. So the app does detect the Android version...

    Posted via CB10
    06-01-16 10:59 PM
  23. joeldf's Avatar
    OK. So the app does detect the Android version...

    Posted via CB10
    Yes. It will only show you the apps compatible with 4.3.

    Now, some developers may have several versions of their apps on the Play Store, but the store will only show you the most compatible for whatever android version you're on.

    Posted via CB10
    06-02-16 12:41 AM
  24. aespix's Avatar
    Move on , I was a die hard blackberry 10 fan , still am . It's over. Android is the future. Blackberry 10 will become totally niche and be kept open only for safety purposes . It's no more a public os, but that of high grade security which we as daily users don't need.
    06-02-16 07:49 AM
  25. ondrejb86's Avatar
    Stop crying for facebook... Smartphone means calls,messages,email,web, calendar. 100% succes for bb10os.

    If you want facebook, instagram, snapchat, movieplayer, fancyappcrap buy fun-phone platform.

    Combine iPhone for fun and BlackBerry for work and be happy.


    Posted via CB10
    morfinpower likes this.
    06-02-16 08:18 AM
26 12

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