1. Jahtruth's Avatar
    I have loads of newbies who want instagram etc. on their phones but are afraid to side load. If snap were made available in BBWorld then it's would be simpler to download snap then use it to download android apps, instead of having to side load snap to get that!

    Posted via CB10
    06-12-14 05:17 AM
  2. rthonpm's Avatar
    Snap is a great app, but it's technically a violation of Google's terms of service for the Play Store. Adding it as an official app would open the chances of legal action by Google.

    The sideloading process at least gives BlackBerry a degree of plausible deniability: they may mention that Android apps are supported but they don't say where to get them from.


    Posted via CB10
    06-12-14 05:23 AM
  3. Shadowyugi's Avatar
    Because... they are... Well, maybe... I mean, it's possi-

    No.
    06-12-14 05:24 AM
  4. Alattin Simsek's Avatar
    Oh business as usually... BlackBerry and Google have an agreement on that BlackBerry supports Android apps, but it's not official? No it's, but it's not legal for BlackBerry third part apps/stores to exist in a official BlackBerry app market? Well, but then, how should the average user be able to use Android apps.. they can't sideload etc...

    Posted via CB10
    06-12-14 05:47 AM
  5. jsanakonda's Avatar
    Reason of support for Android in BB10 OS is to attract more developers by giving them easy to use tool to port they Android apps and potentially gain new customers from BlackBerry users.
    This also opened door for sideloading apps from developers who don't care about BlackBerry users/market.

    Posted via CB10
    06-12-14 06:36 AM
  6. cjcampbell's Avatar
    Tell them to use Amazon if they are afraid to sideload Snap.

    Posted via CB10
    06-12-14 06:40 AM
  7. DrRobertino's Avatar
    Or use www.apktrain.com it's direct download from browser.

    Robertino BB-Z10
    06-12-14 06:46 AM
  8. dustmalik's Avatar
    Or use www.apktrain.com it's direct download from browser.

    Robertino BB-Z10
    Apktrain is filled with outdated app versions.

    Posted via CB10 using my Gorgeous Z30
    06-12-14 12:07 PM
  9. TBone4eva's Avatar
    Oh business as usually... BlackBerry and Google have an agreement on that BlackBerry supports Android apps, but it's not official? No it's, but it's not legal for BlackBerry third part apps/stores to exist in a official BlackBerry app market? Well, but then, how should the average user be able to use Android apps.. they can't sideload etc...

    Posted via CB10
    BlackBerry has just taken advantage of the fact that Android is open source and free for anyone to use. They stripped out the Dalvik Virtual Machine that actually runs the apps on Android and integrated it with BB10. The goal was to provide an avenue by which developers could more easily port their apps from Android over to BlackBerry World. Officially BlackBerry is just trying to make it as easy as possible for Android developers to port their apps to BlackBerry World and test their apps on BlackBerry devices, but the unoffical side benefit is that the consumer gets to directly install Andorid apps on their devices. You need an agreement with Google if you want access to Google Services. That is why there is no direct access to Google Play, but I doubt BlackBerry would ever allow third party access to Google Play. It's either either going to be directly through BB World due to some agreement with Google or none at all.
    06-12-14 02:04 PM
  10. drjames05's Avatar
    Tell them to use Amazon if they are afraid to sideload Snap.

    Posted via CB10
    Or apktrain.com



    Posted via CB10
    06-12-14 02:09 PM
  11. brian4591's Avatar
    This might sound funny. But if Snap was a APK file (android port) then anyone could install the Snap app without needing BlackBerry World or side loading.

    Kinda dumb that we can install APK files (Android ports) directly (without a store) but we can't install Bar files (native blackberry apps) without a store or side loading.

    Can someone convert the Snap bar file to an APK file? LOL

    Posted via CB10
    06-12-14 02:38 PM
  12. drfever's Avatar
    I love Snap and the Amazon Store. Too bad that despite compatibility, FULL FUNCTIONALITY Is still lacking. Most notably any app that has push notifications are essentially useless.

    I also feel that giving developers a means by which to port their apps takes away their motivation to build a native app. It's easier to port and say "there you go" while in the background essentially dropping BlackBerry support.

    It's a frustrating situation when you really like an Android app and are forced to download it and lose the full functionality that we would have had if developers just build a BlackBerry native app.

    Hoping 10.3 improves the functionality component.

    Posted from my Z30 on CB10
    06-12-14 02:48 PM
  13. joeldf's Avatar
    This might sound funny. But if Snap was a APK file (android port) then anyone could install the Snap app without needing BlackBerry World or side loading.

    Kinda dumb that we can install APK files (Android ports) directly (without a store) but we can't install Bar files (native blackberry apps) without a store or side loading.

    Can someone convert the Snap bar file to an APK file? LOL

    Posted via CB10
    But then it won't be the smooth native app with cascades that we have now.

    It's not so simple.

    The developer would have to completely re-design and re-code his app to make it an android apk app.

    Posted via CB10
    06-12-14 02:48 PM
  14. brian4591's Avatar
    @joeldf

    I know, I was kinda being sarcastic. But at the same time the people that say, "I can't sideload" now have a plausible option.

    I actually have fun with the people that won't load Snap on their phones. I download the apk app and then transfer the apk to their phone for them to install directly without the store. Kinda blows them away! Lol

    Posted via CB10
    06-12-14 11:10 PM
  15. Richard Buckley's Avatar
    Well, but then, how should the average user be able to use Android apps.. they can't sideload etc...

    Posted via CB10
    The average user is supposed to get Android apps from BlackBerry World.

    If someone wrote an application to interface with the Amazon application store front, they would probably be able to put that in BB World because Amazon has stated that they don't have a problem with non-Kindle users accessing it. They also make the APK for their store application available for download. Android is open source. Google Services aren't.
    06-13-14 08:48 AM
  16. Richard Buckley's Avatar
    This might sound funny. But if Snap was a APK file (android port) then anyone could install the Snap app without needing BlackBerry World or side loading.

    Kinda dumb that we can install APK files (Android ports) directly (without a store) but we can't install Bar files (native blackberry apps) without a store or side loading.

    Can someone convert the Snap bar file to an APK file? LOL

    Posted via CB10
    It isn't funny at all. It is part of the BlackBerry platform security. That is why all the Android applications in BB World are BAR files not APKs. When an application comes from BB World you have assurances that a level of vetting has taken place. When you get an APK from wherever, well the situation may be different.
    tdaye likes this.
    06-13-14 08:52 AM
  17. TBone4eva's Avatar
    I love Snap and the Amazon Store. Too bad that despite compatibility, FULL FUNCTIONALITY Is still lacking. Most notably any app that has push notifications are essentially useless.

    I also feel that giving developers a means by which to port their apps takes away their motivation to build a native app. It's easier to port and say "there you go" while in the background essentially dropping BlackBerry support.

    It's a frustrating situation when you really like an Android app and are forced to download it and lose the full functionality that we would have had if developers just build a BlackBerry native app.

    Hoping 10.3 improves the functionality component.

    Posted from my Z30 on CB10
    I agree that it does take away motivation to develop a native app, but it also addresses the problem of developers saying that it's not worth committing the resources to develop for BB10. If they can develop and support Android and all they have to do is port the app over to BB World, it provides an incentive that otherwise wouldn't exist. Right now, the need to get apps in BB World is stronger than whether they are native or Android.

    Also, I feel there needs to be better outreach to developers when it comes to Android compatibility because, for example, it probably wouldn't been easier and better for Bank of America to have ported their Android app instead of creating an HTML 5 app that doesn't have all of the functionality of the Android version.
    06-13-14 11:53 AM
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