[John Albert]

I checked BlackBerry apps life cycle, and it seems they will kill or have killed many Android apps including the launcher, keyboard and DTEK.

There is no mention for the Hub+ services.

https://www.blackberry.com/us/en/sup...ort-life-cycle

Any idea?

What's left of BlackBerry today regarding consumers apps?
What would OM use when/if they release the next BlackBerry phone beside just the BB sticker?

It is now like Kodak or Philips name on a phone.

[cgk]

What's left of BlackBerry today regarding consumers apps?

Nothing - it's got some legacy products that go EOL in august.

What would OM use when/if they release the next BlackBerry phone beside just the BB sticker?

That is an interesting question - due to selling off their patent and licensing business it's not even clear they have access to any hardware let alone software patents - there is a strong chance it's just the logo.

It is now like Kodak or Philips name on a phone.

That would certainly seem to be the case.

[John Albert]

Nothing - it's got some legacy products that go EOL in august.




That is an interesting question - due to selling off their patent and licensing business it's not even clear they have access to any hardware let alone software patents - there is a strong chance it's just the logo.



That would certainly seem to be the case.

Who bought these patents?

Any idea about the Hub+ current status?

I guess BBMe is the only remaining thing, and it might be decommissioned soon.

[cgk]

Who bought these patents?

The sale hasn't concluded yet - it's for both patents and the underlying licensing business. We don't know who the actual buyer is and will find out when the sale is final - it was suppose to be last quarter but ran over.

Any idea about the Hub+ current status?

Sorry no - nothing public on that.

[spARTacus]

Who bought these patents?...

Maybe no one. Maybe there just isn't enough value left in those apps for BlackBerry to not consider them for EOL.

[spARTacus]

...That is an interesting question - due to selling off their patent and licensing business it's not even clear they have access to any hardware let alone software patents - there is a strong chance it's just the logo...

Is there anything on any of these BlackBerry Android app EOL lists that would seem to equate to the core of what BlackBerry did for the actual "BlackBerry Android OS"?

[Dunt Dunt Dunt]

Is there anything on any of these BlackBerry Android app EOL lists that would seem to equate to the core of what BlackBerry did for the actual "BlackBerry Android OS"?

No it's just the apps... but then we don't know if BlackBerry really did much that was special to the core of the Android OS. It always sounded more like they just choses some of the more secure setup options.

[cgk]

No it's just the apps... but then we don't know if BlackBerry really did much that was special to the core of the Android OS. It always sounded more like they just choses some of the more secure setup options.

Plus any work they did is two years out of date at this point and the people who did it no longer work for the company.

[SteinwayTransitCorp]

I checked BlackBerry apps life cycle, and it seems they will kill or have killed many Android apps including the launcher, keyboard and DTEK.

There is no mention for the Hub+ services.

https://www.blackberry.com/us/en/sup...ort-life-cycle

Any idea?

What's left of BlackBerry today regarding consumers apps?
What would OM use when/if they release the next BlackBerry phone beside just the BB sticker?

It is now like Kodak or Philips name on a phone.

HUB and Enterprise will continue to work in Android, if it is the paid APP. The free version will close out. That was what was sent to my company about 3 months ago, I can ask again if requested.

[John Albert]

HUB and Enterprise will continue to work in Android, if it is the paid APP. The free version will close out. That was what was sent to my company about 3 months ago, I can ask again if requested.

Isn't BlackBerry Launcher one of the paid apps?

[John Albert]

Plus any work they did is two years out of date at this point and the people who did it no longer work for the company.

What makes you think they no longer work for BlackBerry?

Both the Hub Suite and BBMe got updates in last November.
The company still need these developers to work on the remaining consumer apps and probably some of Enterprise ones.

[conite]

Isn't BlackBerry Launcher one of the paid apps?

The only Suite apps not EOL after Aug is the Inbox/Calendar/Contacts combo.

But will BlackBerry split these out of the Suite and offer them on their own? Who knows.

[John Albert]

The only Suite apps not EOL after Aug is the Inbox/Calendar/Contacts combo.

But will BlackBerry split these out of the Suite and offer them on their own? Who knows.

After August, will BlackBerry pull the EOL apps from Play Store or leave them dead there, so some users could still keep using them?

I almost lost all contacts on BBMe. I don't know how many people are using it right now. Do you predict that might be as well phased out soon?

[cgk]

What makes you think they no longer work for BlackBerry?

Both the Hub Suite and BBMe got updates in last November.
The company still need these developers to work on the remaining consumer apps and probably some of Enterprise ones.

I was referring to their work on the Android OS not individual apps - sorry for the confusion.

[conite]

After August, will BlackBerry pull the EOL apps from Play Store or leave them dead there, so some users could still keep using them?

I almost lost all contacts on BBMe. I don't know how many people are using it right now. Do you predict that might be as well phased out soon?

Does it matter what they do to BBMe? What's the point of a messenging app when no one else uses it?

Will they pull the Suite? They would have to if they don't plan on updating it. Google has strict rules for that.

[Dunt Dunt Dunt]

I was referring to their work on the Android OS not individual apps - sorry for the confusion.

Yeah that was the work of hundreds of developers... at this point I'm sure the app development group at BlackBerry is tiny, and spends most of it's time on the Enterprise solutions. Which is where there is some cross over...

[SteinwayTransitCorp]

The only Suite apps not EOL after Aug is the Inbox/Calendar/Contacts combo.

But will BlackBerry split these out of the Suite and offer them on their own? Who knows.

We have been told that the paid side will keep functions and receive updates (operational) That was the last e mail for corporate accounts.

[SteinwayTransitCorp]

Yeah that was the work of hundreds of developers... at this point I'm sure the app development group at BlackBerry is tiny, and spends most of it's time on the Enterprise solutions. Which is where there is some cross over...

Yup we had some e mails from BlackBerry that the paid side of HUB and Enterprise will be fine and receive operational updates for play store issues. At this point to keep them current takes a very small team and is a revenue stream with very little cost.

[conite]

We have been told that the paid side will keep functions and receive updates (operational) That was the last e mail for corporate accounts.

There is no separate enterprise skew for the HUB Suite.

Besides, enterprise have their own apps through BlackBerry Spark/UEM. BlackBerry Work is the email/contacts/calendar client.

[SteinwayTransitCorp]

There is no separate enterprise skew for the HUB Suite.

Besides, enterprise have their own apps through BlackBerry Spark/UEM. BlackBerry Work is the email client.

Yes the HUB suite is standalone, but the split came within the free and paid versions.

[conite]

Yes the HUB suite is standalone, but the split came within the free and paid versions.

I don't know what you're talking about. The Suite is free and ad-enabled, but provides an in-app option to pay and get rid of ads. But it's only one skew.

[spARTacus]

I think Contacts stopped working after the free trial if one didn't pay, then the others started showing ads if one didn't pay. Interestingly, after 4Jan2022 the ads in password keeper seemed more updated (or I just didn't really notice them before)

[Emaderton3]

So the launcher will definitely be gone?

I am using it now just because of familiarity. Don't understand why the wallpaper moves when scrolling left and right when I am using the same Samsung background that did not move when using the Samsung launcher.

[nevilleadaniels]

The only Suite apps not EOL after Aug is the Inbox/Calendar/Contacts combo.

But will BlackBerry split these out of the Suite and offer them on their own? Who knows.

And notes and tasks

[Dunt Dunt Dunt]

The way BlackBerry enterprise sales are dropping... lost 1/3 of their business in North America last year. I wouldn't count on what they offer today, being around. Appears to mostly be issues with the UEM and Spark side of things in North America. Athoc seem to be holding it's own. And Secusmart is doing well in the EU and Middle East.

The need for individual UEM device apps that tend to be buggy and feature short (especially on the newer email security standards) is fading... but as long as they keep developer patching the enterprise version for the few clients that are using it, it won't be costly to make the same patches to the consumer version of the same applications.