[Tre Lawrence]

Yeah. I have read Cobalt's hack and app patcher thread but I didn't find time to try it. Didn't know about Android emulations though. Thanks for the tip.

But, my main concern is BlackBerry has neglected these kind of small apps which makes lot of difference in daily routine. In India, cheap private taxi services has become a revolution as against auto rickshaws. More and more people are find it convenient way to commute but they are easily available through their apps only. I know these are country specific apps but BlackBerry should have consider these small things if they want to win more customers for BB10 in India.

Posted via CB10

Great point of view.

Folks think it's about games or "big name" apps. It's those little, region-specific apps that make a difference.

[veritas_vincit]

For me Security such as device encryption and access protection are the #1 reason I look forward for having a device, then a have a list of productivity apps that any device needs to be able to run. I'm no gamer, so I'm OK there. If it complies, then I'm OK with it.

[MrPizza]

Just missing two apps:

Microsoft Lync - it can be sideloaded but is not working (2010 nor 2013 are working)
CityMapper - for London e.g. this is a big gap and the reason is that the app requires google play (puke puke, apologies, I think google play is just not a good platform for apps)

[PERSAUD RAMESH]

There is very big GAP in apps
Blackberry need to update the android runtime and partner with google like the did with PRIV and give support for the official google play store
and also Blackberry should keep the apps in the Blackberry World up to date like Facebook etc
This is one way blackberry could see the light again

[BBerryPowerUser]

For me, it all comes down to the 5 or 6 apps I use and NEED on a Smartphone.
Some are common, like Twitter, LinkedIn and Spotify. Even my OS 7 Berry runs these well. But some are less common and are not available on anything but the "BIG TWO" Android and iOS.

What usually ends up being my big "Deal Breaker" with the App Gap is my Bank's Banking App. I need to remote deposit Checks. There is no negotiating here. I'm not running to the bank when I get another check in the mail. Only Android and iOS have my Bank's App. That really limits me. One of my phones (I have two lines) MUST be a fairly current Android or iOS.

That's truly the bottom line for me.

[Tre Lawrence]

For me, it all comes down to the 5 or 6 apps I use and NEED on a Smartphone.
Some are common, like Twitter, LinkedIn and Spotify. Even my OS 7 Berry runs these well. But some are less common and are not available on anything but the "BIG TWO" Android and iOS.

What usually ends up being my big "Deal Breaker" with the App Gap is my Bank's Banking App. I need to remote deposit Checks. There is no negotiating here. I'm not running to the bank when I get another check in the mail. Only Android and iOS have my Bank's App. That really limits me. One of my phones (I have two lines) MUST be a fairly current Android or iOS.

That's truly the bottom line for me.

I hear you. My main bank is 2K miles away. I deposit checks every so often remotely.

Again, the little things.

[joshua_sx1]

If the apps you are looking for are available in Android, chances are, you can get them through Amazon Store or if you managed to install the Google Play Store, you can get them from these sources.

I have two bank apps that are available in Google Play Store and managed to install them to my Passport and so far, they are basically running as they are... hoping that when Priv becomes successful, BlackBerry will not drop off the Android runtime support on Passport...

Posted via CB10

[TommyBB]

I'm hoping and praying for a lot of BB10 in the Priv. I will support the company that I have stuck with through thick and thin by buying the Priv. I just hope it's the best of both worlds, all the apps and the software (as much of it as possible, at least) that I will miss.

The one thing I'm not looking forward to at ALL is a return of buttons. I so love swiping it hurts to think we'll be losing it. Very difficult and sad times really.

[susu222]

I believe BB did all they can to bridge this app gap with the big two but unfortunately for BB that ain't going to happen and even JC can see the writing on the wall. Without being able to get and run these popular apps to make my daily life easier eg banking, travel apps, map apps apps for remotes, apps for home security, I am quite pleased to move over to Priv ( still hate the name) and still support BB. Hopefully this new device will still provide me with all those BB features too

[BBerryPowerUser]

I hear you. My main bank is 2K miles away. I deposit checks every so often remotely.

Again, the little things.

Indeed. You and I are in the same boat. One of my homes is in Hawaii.

There is a factoid that most people do not know about Hawaii. Yes, it is a State in the United States. However, it sometimes operates like a separate country. Banking is one such example. Try and find a branch of ANY Mainland US Bank in Hawaii. You'll be searching for nothing. They do NOT exist. Locals in Hawaii are very "territorial" when it comes to where they put their money for "safe-keeping". ONLY Hawaiian based banks exist in Hawaii. No Mainland Bank Branches can be found anywhere on the islands. Bank of America tried to crack that ice a few decades ago, but failed when locals refused to do business with them forcing all the branches to close within a few years. So, even if you have an account with the largest US Bank, you are OUT OF LUCK going to any branch while you are in Hawaii.

So, you either use a Banking App, OR, you fly 2,500 miles to made a deposit, or WIRE a deposit. No thanks. Thank goodness for a Banking App.

As far as side-loading Apps or using the Amazon store, I am just now trying BB10. I ordered a Q5 recently and it's sitting here waiting for me to use it. I will start the learning curve the weekend of October 18 when my schedule slows down a bit. I still use a 9900 (Bridged to a Playbook) for my business line as my Business World revolves around Text, Email, LinkedIn and Twitter. I have carried an iPhone and/or an Android on my personal line so I can do Banking and get official apps for Starbucks and Amazon Prime Music. I have ripped my entire CD collection to Amazon Prime Music and Google Play. But I prefer Amazon Prime Music because as a Prime Member, I get access to tens of thousands of songs included for streaming or downloading with my Prime membership as well as streaming or downloading my entire CD collection. An Amazon Prime Music app is a must for me.

I'm looking forward to finally TRYING BB10. I'm sure I will like it, and I HOPE it loads Amazon Prime Music and my Banking App. If it doesn't, then it's a fail and I'll have to abandon it. My 9900 will stay on my business line. What can I say? I STILL love it for BUSINESS.

[Tre Lawrence]

I'm hoping and praying for a lot of BB10 in the Priv. I will support the company that I have stuck with through thick and thin by buying the Priv. I just hope it's the best of both worlds, all the apps and the software (as much of it as possible, at least) that I will miss.

The one thing I'm not looking forward to at ALL is a return of buttons. I so love swiping it hurts to think we'll be losing it. Very difficult and sad times really.

My last two Android devices have been used without buttons. All gestures and voice.

Android is what you make if it.

[mrafael]

BlackBerry is selling less phones ... so it is trying to change consumer persepseption at all costs to gain more market share the easiest ... Android!! So they are including some extra software but I am septic ... at the end user will be able to root the devices ... and improve them

[stuck_788]

it's HUGE, if you work with your phone, you'll miss many apps very useful for the nowadays worker...
the fact that you work it doesn't mean you only need Emails, nowadays you need a lot more...
that's a big issue for blackberry

[king of disks]

coming from years of using an iPhone to a Passport SE, my general answer is yes, the app gap is fairly substantial. however that doesn't answer the real question of individual use and needs. 99% of my phone use is for text/calls/emails. so switching to a blackberry, apps were not a deciding factor for me. but i think it's fair to list out exactly what one has to do on BB10 to access apps, and why blackberry is in a difficult position in regards to the state of its ecosystem:

1) look through BBWorld to see if the app is available. if not -
2) look through the Amazon App Store. if app doesn't work/not available -
3) look through Snap or other side-loaded client for app. if app doesn't work/not available -
4) look on the web and create a web-shortcut

that's a process most people never want to have to go through to get access to things they want or need. for me, my banking and uber app are mostly what I use additionally, and can be accessed through a web-shortcut. a solid communication device is what I really wanted, and I couldn't be happier with my Passport in that regard. apps however, there is definitely a gap. if apps are important to you, if the ease in which they are accessed and their ability to work on your device define your overall experience, blackberry is a tough sell. if not, there's no better communication device.

[sophace]

Unfortunately, this is the wrong group of people to ask this question. Look at most of the responses - it's fine once I download the Amazon store, or Google's Play store and then add Cobalts fix for it. That in itself says a lot - the fact that we have to have the Amazon app store is the first clear sign that BB10 doesn't have enough. The fact that others recommend a work around for google play services says another - the user base shouldn't have to do unsupported workarounds to get the apps people want working. Additionally, compared to other phones with similar specs, the apps on my Passport don't run ask quickly or smoothly, take a while to boot up, and they really kill the battery (although that may happen on Android phones as well). Additionally, the install and update process is terrible, switching between the download, to the Blackberry approval, and back to the install. Not a smooth or great process for Blackberry.

None of the above means I think Android is better than BB10, in my honest opinion it's not. But when the CEO of Blackberry releases a statement suggesting app neutrality, even he is admitting the app gap is formidable. Sometimes it's the little things. I travel a lot and use SPG hotels. There is a great app for SPG that I use, but I don't get to use the ability to open my room with my phone so I don't have to carry a key. Is that the end of the world? No. But it would be cool to have it. Uber works, then it doesn't when an update comes out, then it does once you fix it again. I have work apps that won't work, like Cisco Jabber and others. I don't even play games and I find shortcomings, if I did there would be so many others that don't work.

It's a shame that lack of app support can bring down a great OS like BB10. Unfortunately, the reality is that Blackberry has no one to blame but themselves. They laughed and called the iPhone a toy when it came out. Apple just sold 13 million of those toys in 3 days at the last launch - hopefully moving to Android for app support will help.

[Cyrus Vance Cunanan]

App gap isn't really a issue here, but the quality of the apps. There are a lot of good developers in Android. Sure we have safer native apps, but the quality isn't really going anywhere. For instance, the WeChat app, though we have the native version of it, devs from WeChat doesn't seem to care to update it. We don't have Facebook messenger.

[csmerchant]

How did you manage to get Uber to work? It refuses to work on my Passport. Thanks in advance.

[wildsau666]

I would not say GAP because most of the standard apps are there. The problem is the quality of the app. Especially speed and reliability.

I am using these: Spotify, Amazon Music, Audible, NFL Gamepass, Netflix and ESPN Fantasy Football.

And to be honest the only one which works almost as native is the Netflix app. All the others are slow when started and tend to close without cause.

Therefore I am looking forward to having the Priv. Having all the native apps in a Blackberry environment promised to be great.

[ANTIABE]

There is very big GAP in apps
Blackberry need to update the android runtime and partner with google like the did with PRIV and give support for the official google play store
and also Blackberry should keep the apps in the Blackberry World up to date like Facebook etc
This is one way blackberry could see the light again

VERY TRUE!

[Slash82]

I personally think that is has not really much to do with the total number of apps.
It is about the "big names" that are missing, like:
- native Instagram
- native Netflix
- native Skype (the one in the AppWorld is just a "cheap" transformator)
- native SnapChat
... - and so on.

[Deckard79]

No app gap for me really. Only slight inconvenience I have is that Google Maps requests sign-in data and crashes from time to time. The Google Services bit could be 'fixed' but I can't be bothered as it isn't a big enough problem.

Got my banking apps and everything else working just fine.

[Crimson Daedalus]

Let's see: every banking app, Zipcar, Uber, NYTimes (doesn't work properly, can't save articles, functionality no longer supported), WSJ, CBC, most news apps, ADT product suite, every airline application, no Blackberry travel doesn't count, Spotify, Soundhound and Soundcloud, limited functionality Google Chat, Google Maps, Skype and Paypal. All Health and Fitness applications, MYFitness suite, gym apps, Fitbit suite, Under Armour etc.

And my personal favorite the NFL Mobile app which was retired by send out a fake update that loops.

Q10 user and Blackberry user since the RiM900

Posted via CB10

[nt300]

I'm hoping the new priv will provide some sort of support for a new Android runtime with full Google support on BB10 devices.

Really, that is all we need to fill in the last "gap" in apps we need filled.

Otherwise I have everything I need. Clash of clans works fine ha ha.

Posted via CB10

Well in that case, BB10 would be the best Android OS and BBRY OS. Would be nice to see Google dump Android in favor for BB10. There's obviously no comparison here, we all know based on facts, BB10 is far superior and is the only mobile OS that is actually "Complete".

As for an App Gap, sure there is a slight app gap, but you can blame JC for that too, seeing how he not only pissed off BB10 Dev's, he cancelled BB10 app development projects that were a must to help gain platform popularity. Though marketing totally stinks and always has.

[nt300]

No app gap for me really. Only slight inconvenience I have is that Google Maps requests sign-in data and crashes from time to time. The Google Services bit could be 'fixed' but I can't be bothered as it isn't a big enough problem.

Got my banking apps and everything else working just fine.

Have to agree, though I've never had Google Maps crash on me via my Z30. But one interesting note, Google Maps loads a bit faster on my Galaxy S5 over my Z30, but once its loaded, my Z30 runs it better and offers better options for some reason. Such as Street View, the Z30 does it well, where as the S5 doesn't it do it. Humm, Weird.

[Crimson Daedalus]

What device/Provider?

Posted via CB10