[kfh227]

I was wondering if this is even remotely possible. (1) Blackberry clearly wants to support the 4.2.2 runtime. (2) Developers clearly are not in any hurry to port apps. With the continuing investment by Blackberry, is there a chance that Blackberry will directly support the Android marketplace? You can actually download Android apps that were not ported by developers?

It's just that there seems to be a conflict of interest in poitns 1 and 2 unless Blackberry has something up their sleeves.

[thurask]

I believe that the Play Store is explicitly blacklisted.

[SDTRMG]

They could, but BlackBerry won't do that because it'd be risky to the os among coding etc. Apps now also have to be ported to a bar file to run, android apps in the play store would all be apk files.

Posted via CB10

[mnc76]

I wish they would make a "Google Play Portal" that they controlled.

Then they could control what apps get through the portal and let the most popular ones through first (as long as they're safe) and block the malware.

They should also add hooks into the hub so an Android app that uses the Android notification system would automatically work in the hub.

Posted via CB10

[mnc76]

They could, but BlackBerry won't do that because it'd be risky to the os among coding etc. Apps now also have to be ported to a bar file to run, android apps in the play store would all be apk files.

Posted via CB10

From what I've read from devs, the whole "Apk to Bar" issue is trivial to solve since a bar is just a zip file that contains the apk and an icon for the Android app to appear on the bb10 homescreen.

Posted via CB10

[SDTRMG]

From what I've read from devs, the whole "Apk to Bar" issue is trivial to solve since a bar is just a zip file that contains the apk and an icon for the Android app to appear on the bb10 homescreen.

Posted via CB10

That's true but more complex apps would still require some recoding to function properly.

Posted via CB10

[Poirots Progeny]

I don't think Google would let their cash cow out to roam - the android portal sounds like an interesting idea: it would be something Google controls.

Then what..?

The BlackBerry Q10 is a half step away from being an android phone?

Posted via CB10 on my BlackBerry Q10

[MobileMadness002]

I don't think Google would let their cash cow out to roam - the android portal sounds like an interesting idea: it would be something Google controls.

Then what..?

The BlackBerry Q10 is a half step away from being an android phone?

Posted via CB10 on my BlackBerry Q10

If Google got their commission I do t really see why the overall problem would be.

Sent from my Z10 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

[BadGoliath42]

Good idea, though I strongly believe the Android portal should be integrated in BB World to prevent confusion for the user. Anyway, there are several third party android market, so I suppose BlackBerry could just do the same.

Posted via CB10

[RECOOL]

BB have something up their sleeve for those app desperado's.

[Poirots Progeny]

If Google got their commission I do t really see why the overall problem would be.

Sent from my Z10 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

Sure - let's ask Apple to let us onto iTunes too - Apple LOVE their 30%!!!

And why not the Amazon app store.

Because Android, Apple, Amazon, Windows Marketplace - well their respective owners would love to support a direct competitor with its OWN app ecosystem.

It's business.

Posted via CB10 on my BlackBerry Q10

[anon(2757538)]

It's also because the Android Runtime can't access accounts, and the Google Play Store is directly linked to your Gmail associated with your Android device

[FrankPCS]

Is BlackBerry part of the OHA? No it's not, thankfully, so there's no way we'd be able to access Google Play.

Posted via CB10

[meltbox360]

It was once working kind of on the PlayBook. The issue is they blocked side loading from localhost and effectively cut off our only method to install apps on the device without a computer. Only BlackBerry World is allowed to install apps due to the permissions it has. We can't write or give an app those permissions. Therefore we cannot do anything.

Posted via CB10

[Dave Bourque]

This will never happen. You will only see third party app stores with apks or bar files.

Sent from my BB10 smartphone.

[Kris Simundson]

Nope, it never will, google won't allow use of the Google Framework Services in the Android Runtime that BlackBerry is using. Sure Android may be open source, but the GFS ain't.

[mnc76]

Once again everyone:

All Google cares about is getting more people online. That's the only reason Android exists.

Google does not care about making money from their app store or on phones--it's just a means to an end to support their advertising business.

People laugh at the idea of Google making their app store available to BlackBerry yet they have no problem accepting that Google GIVES AWAY THEIR OS for FREE!

Would a company that wanted to make money on Android phones do this? No. Of course not.

Google does not have "competitors" in the cell phone space.


Posted via CB10

[Kris Simundson]

Once again everyone:

All Google cares about is getting more people online. That's the only reason Android exists.

Google does not care about making money from their app store or on phones--it's just a means to an end to support their advertising business.

People laugh at the idea of Google making their app store available to BlackBerry yet they have no problem accepting that Google GIVES AWAY THEIR OS for FREE!

Would a company that wanted to make money on Android phones do this? No. Of course not.

Google does not have "competitors" in the cell phone space.


Posted via CB10

They have to give it away, they built it using open source, there is no way they could charge without facing lawsuits. Google makes tons of money off the Play Store, off their Nexus line. I don't see why BlackBerry would want to pay Google to have a competitors app store on their platform, because any paid apps from the platform would go to the android dev that made the app, and in which return gives google a cut of that profit and nothing for BlackBerry.

There is no money to be made by getting the GSF and GPlay Store in the Android Runtime

Posted via CB10

[mnc76]

They have to give it away, they built it using open source, there is no way they could charge without facing lawsuits.Posted via CB10

I'm sorry, but you're wrong about this. Look up the history of Android. Google bought (what used to be) the company Android Inc. in 2005, 3 years before the first Android smartphone was released.

They CHOSE to purchase and finance development of an open source OS.

Google Buys Android for Its Mobile Arsenal (Article: AUGUST 17, 2005)
The search giant quietly acquires the startup, netting possibly a key player in its push into wireless, "the next frontier in search"
http://www.webcitation.org/5wk7sIvVb

The Nexus line is to ensure that there is always at least one "pure" (unskinned) Android phone on the market--a kind of "reference device" for the platform in both hardware and software.

I don't see why BlackBerry would want to pay Google to have a competitors app store on their platform, because any paid apps from the platform would go to the android dev that made the app, and in which return gives google a cut of that profit and nothing for BlackBerry.

This is something BlackBerry would not like, but it's biggest hurdle now is lack of apps. And don't forget to consider that all Android vendors have to deal with this same issue. It would be great to see a kind of "Google Play Portal" (as I mentioned above).

[Chanlion]

There is a difference between actual Android and the Android player on BlackBerry, you are suppose do a few minor modifications when porting. But personally, I don't support this idea. There'll be a lack of control and simply, poorly developed apps. You still have to optimize it for BlackBerry slightly. Besides, I'm really happy to see any good app properly built for BB.

[Kris Simundson]

I'm sorry, but you're wrong about this. Look up the history of Android. Google bought (what used to be) the company Android Inc. in 2005, 3 years before the first Android smartphone was released.

They CHOSE to purchase and finance development of an open source OS.

Google Buys Android for Its Mobile Arsenal (Article: AUGUST 17, 2005)
The search giant quietly acquires the startup, netting possibly a key player in its push into wireless, "the next frontier in search"
http://www.webcitation.org/5wk7sIvVb

And that relates to how BlackBerry can make money or survive by intentionally letting a competitors app store on their platform how? There is just no explaining to you stubborn people. Ive owned a HTC Dream, I've been with google and android since the early days. I even dev'd for android. I had a 99 cent icon pack, but it wasn't worth it from the money that they made off my sell. I made like 50 cents off a single sell. I ended up just making the icon pack free.

So how about next time respond with info on how it's profitable for BlackBerry to allow a competitors app world.

Posted via CB10

[mnc76]

And that relates to how BlackBerry can make money or survive by intentionally letting a competitors app store on their platform how? There is just no explaining to you stubborn people. Ive owned a HTC Dream, I've been with google and android since the early days. I even dev'd for android. I had a 99 cent icon pack, but it wasn't worth it from the money that they made off my sell. I made like 50 cents off a single sell. I ended up just making the icon pack free.

So how about next time respond with info on how it's profitable for BlackBerry to allow a competitors app world.

Posted via CB10

First of all, my original post was about "why would Google 'allow' a 'competitor' such as BB to have Google Play access".

My response covered this by explaining that Google did not develop Android with the intention for Android-related profits to come primarily from handset and app transaction fees. They wanted to drive search. So they actually want to see Android and AdSense-using Android apps on as many platforms as possible, as well as getting more people online more of the time to use their services.

Most friends of mine with Android phones rarely if ever actually pay for an app. They are available for free.

And even though Google apparently takes a 5% cut of paid apps (a 25% cut going to the carrier, the remaining 70% to the dev), companies like Samsung (and more recently HTC--though the jury is still out on that) are doing OK on Android.

Nokia and Samsung, for example, have their own separate app stores just for Nokia and Samsung devices resp. that sit along-side the Windows store and Google Play.

Why would BB want access to Google Play? Their achilles heel is apps. This would largely make apps a non-issue. Again, ideally they would be allowed some sort of BB-controlled 'portal' into Google Play. A system that allows access to select apps (particularly free apps) without requiring explicit porting by devs would be great.

From BB's and the user's point of view: what is the benefit of having (hoping) a dev will port a "must have" free app and put it on BB World versus accessing it directly from gplay? A ported app doesn't turn into a Cascades app by having it downloaded from BB world; it maintains the Android UX. The result is the same. Also, if BB was really so averse to non-native Android apps, then they would probably have not supported hardware acceleration in Jelly Bean (since they would not want ported Android apps to have "native-like" performance on BB10 that takes away incentive for devs to go native, and for users to demand it native).

I'm not at all saying "I'm right" about the possibility of some kind of access to Google Play. I'm just saying that IMO the idea isn't entirely ludicrous. Before it was announced that the PlayBook would have Android support, I'm sure the idea of an Android player on a BlackBerry (!) sounded just as ludicrous.

[Anonymous563453]

push

if we could root/jailbreak OS 10 OR previously to install modify the android apps shipped with the OS 10 image, then we could make Play Store work.