[11pts]

Mmmmm I sure hope the android player is really good and stable if I have a 40% chance of downloading an android app....

Posted by Chris Burns on January 31, 2013.

Just incase you didn’t remember from the first time we spoke about the fact that BlackBerry 10 supports rather easily repackaged Android apps back in November of 2011, the point is being made abundantly clear here at the launch of the mobile OS. Here inside the launch week for BlackBerry 10 the 70,000 apps at launch have been called 40% Android in origin by none other than BlackBerry UX designer Don Lindsay as he spoke with PC Mag about the collection. The high conversion rate comes from none other than the basic BlackBerry Android toolset that’s ready to rock for Android developers across the nation right this minute.




You’re able to create BlackBerry 10 apps using your basic Android app APK with a set of simple tools right out of the box. The resulting app will not be considered for the many awesome promotions BlackBerry is hosting for “best of” and massive prizes galore, but the process is simple – plug it in, start it up, and map your buttons to the gestures BlackBerry 10 presents. The resulting BAR file will work on a BlackBerry 10 device easy as pie.

The resulting files will be odd at first, with some controls being difficult to get used to if you’ve been working with Android for the past several years or have never worked with the BlackBerry 10 user interface before at all. Gestures are the hero here, with swipes from the center of the bottom of the display up and right or up and left doing to forward and backward movements instead of your standard Android “back” button. Have a peek at our upcoming BlackBerry 10 OS review for additional insight on that bit of a process as well.

Meanwhile you can head to the tool page inside BlackBerry’s developer portal to get everything from a BlackBerry 10 Dev Alpha Simulator (soon to be replaced by a full-fledged BlackBerry 10 simulator with essentially the same details) to a set of command-line tools to make your process smooth as butter. You can work with the Online Packager or the BlackBerry Tablet simulator as well, with the Eclipse plug-in being the first and perhaps most important tool for you if that’s the place you’re used to creating your code – have at it!

[playbookster]

Then android users will feel right at home

[greatwiseone]

I have no issues with the Android Player on the Dev Alpha. It works great. He doens't understand. You can pull down and have a BB10 like back button on Android apps if you prefer. You don't need to use the back gesture at the bottom of the phone.

[Tre Lawrence]

If they work well, no problem.

[FSeverino]

been using ported apps on my PB since day one... no problem.
in most cases you can get everything you need on the web browser and that apps are just for convenience.

I use the TSN and SCORE android apps for PB... but I can easily go to the website, bc it works perfectly.

[Shanerredflag]

Agree...as long as they work well it not an issue.

[donmateo]

People have been complaining about not having iOS and android apps forever, now they have some and they still complain. Some people will never be satisfied.

[njblackberry]

I believe they are complaining because apps they like and use aren't available. Where is OpenTable? Skydrive? Lync? Speed Dialer?

Never satisfied? Try a half baked "ecosystem".

[Tre Lawrence]

People have been complaining about not having iOS and android apps forever, now they have some and they still complain. Some people will never be satisfied.

In all fairness, I think most would have preferred native apps. Plus, while sideloading won't scare off tinkerers like me, it won't be popular with everyday folks, so hopefully the formally repackaged apps are broad in scope.

[11pts]

I don't mind using android apps that much I side load heaps on my playbook. I'm assuming since I don't have a z10 device that the android player handles android apps a lot better and matches the whole user experience?

[BB.David]

The question is would you rather have a repackaged Android port or not having it at all? I'll take the Android port over not having it.

It's also possible that a developer can resubmit it with a native app in the future.

[sexybabe88]

android player is poor on the pb. A good number of apps don't even get get updated unlike their android versions.

Sent from my BlackBerry 9900 using Tapatalk

[r0v3rT3N]

Guys, why don't you look at the bright side of things.
That means 60% of these apps are either Native, Webworks, or Flash.
Which should all work well.

Also, in the article in mentions that the Skype application will be an Android port, as it was easier for MS to do that way.

[playbookster]

I believe they are complaining because apps they like and use aren't available. Where is OpenTable? Skydrive? Lync? Speed Dialer?

Never satisfied? Try a half baked "ecosystem".

Says the WP user.

[timmy t]

Is that what porting means?

[njblackberry]

Says the WP user.

Thank you for the unusually ignorant response. I have a BlackBerry Zee/Zed 10 that I got yesterday.
And all the apps I quoted are on WP8. I'm sure you knew all that.

[playbookster]

Thank you for the unusually ignorant response. I have a BlackBerry Zee/Zed 10 that I got yesterday.
And all the apps I quoted are on WP8. I'm sure you knew all that.

And Im sure you know they weren't all there at the launch of WP8. Why do you still post here? Everything you say is complete negativity. Go play in the windows forums.

[FSeverino]

I believe they are complaining because apps they like and use aren't available. Where is OpenTable? Skydrive? Lync? Speed Dialer?

Never satisfied? Try a half baked "ecosystem".

If there is a website for it then it will work... skydrive works fine on my playbook using THE INTERNET

[njblackberry]

@Playbookster - Stop it now. Just because I have a realistic approach - and read my many posts today about what I like about the Zee/Zed 10 - is not the same as Complete Negativity. Get a clue. Read the reviews. All of those apps were there at launch. With the vaunted 70,000 apps, where are the ones that people are looking for.

Never mind - you don't know. I like the Z10 - but it is incomplete. It is not a game changer. I hope (and don't think) it ends up like the Playbook - a bad footnote.

Do you have a BB10 device or any information on when these apps will be out?

[leafs123]

Repackaged Android should be a short-term solution for BB10. The experience isn't the same and plus these apps are running under Android 2.3 (Android currently is at 4.0). Not all are good but if the better ones get support and downloads, hopefully devs will built native ones.

[Masahiro]

I like the Z10 - but it is incomplete.

What OS is ever "complete" upon launch? You do realize there are such things as "updates", right?

[Goint]

To be fair, that is 41,000 more native apps than BGR reported. That is huge. Particularly since WP launched with 25,000 and let's not pretend even half those were even decent.

[njblackberry]

@Masahiro - Thanks. Yes, I realize it. But after months of reading about how this is the most transformational operating system and device OF ALL TIME - well, it isn't.

I certainly expect updates - just on every OS and device. And they will improve things, fix bugs, inconsistencies in the UI, etc. But after listening to everyone gloat and boast about how great it is going to be - and all the surprises at the launch - well, it ain't all that. Is it?

It is a good BlackBerry. But incomplete and not revolutionary.

[playbookster]

@Playbookster - Stop it now. Just because I have a realistic approach - and read my many posts today about what I like about the Zee/Zed 10 - is not the same as Complete Negativity. Get a clue. Read the reviews. All of those apps were there at launch. With the vaunted 70,000 apps, where are the ones that people are looking for.

Never mind - you don't know. I like the Z10 - but it is incomplete. It is not a game changer. I hope (and don't think) it ends up like the Playbook - a bad footnote.

Do you have a BB10 device or any information on when these apps will be out?

Are you going to lie to yourself and tell us WP8 launched complete? (more like complete with an incomplete email client that crashes) It was lacking MANY apps. Stop spewing this crap, no launch is perfect, ever!.

[njblackberry]

It isn't the number of apps. It is the quality. Many of the Map apps are terrible. I can barely find any recognizable names in App World.
Least of all the ones mentioned at the launch that aren't there yet.