[lawguyman]

BlackBerry's partnership with Amazon sounds nice in theory but in reality, Amazon isn't doing anything to make sure BlackBerry users have access to the complete Amazon ecosystem:

1. Amazon Music: Playing a downloaded Prime song crashes the App every time.

2. Amazon Fire TV Stick: Miracast does not connect with a BlackBerry. The App cannot see the Fire TV Stick and thus is useless.

3. Prime Video: Still not supported although some have it working on 10.3.1.

4. Many apps are unavailable on Passport even though they work. There is a thread about this in the Passport forum.

So, what does BlackBerry get by preloading the Amazon's appstore on BlackBerry devices? At best, we get partial access to an ecosystem. Important things don't work or are unavailable. This is unacceptable.

I'm surprised that there hasn't been more discussion about this.

Posted via CB10

[sayf777]

Just curious, is it not Blackberry's responsibility to ensure compatibility?

Posted via CB10

[lawguyman]

It depends on what you are talking about and the reasons for incompatibility.

Miracast is a standard. It should work on anything, for example. Prime Video says something like it is not available for the device. I have no idea why Prime Music crashes with downloaded songs.

The point is that partners should cooperate.

Posted via CB10

[Tre Lawrence]

Don't know that I'd call the relationship a "partnership" in the sense of 50-50.

[lawguyman]

Who makes money when you buy an App or song or movie?

Amazon should be all over this.

Posted via CB10

[early2bed]

The idea of a partnership with Amazon is overblown around here. There was a deal for some access in exchange for some placement. It was probably a project that involved a few people at Amazon. There's no reason to think that any other department at Amazon knew or felt compelled to do anything for Blackberry.

[Highcroft]

I don't think Blackberry and Amazon really are partners. Amazon probably just paid Blackberry a certain sum of money to have their app store preinstalled on all BB10 devices, just like how Google pays Apple to be the default search engine in iOS. Not a partnership but more like a transaction.

[Mirk]

I think there is a general misconception around here about how the Amazon app store would fix all our app problems.

In my honest opinion, it's doing more harm than good and is a half baked band aid solution currently. Snap has currently been considerably more useful at solving my app gap. Not to mention upgrading from a Z10 to a Passport has been like downgrading back to the early days of BB10 in terms of apps. Sorry to say.

[dejanh]

Yeah, I have to agree with this. This "partnership" is not really that. Amazon does not seemingly have much interesting in providing access to many of it's apps and services, nor do they seem to have an interest in optimizing for BlackBerry devices. It's more of a "right to use" than a partnership. Don't expect this to change any time soon either as Amazon has no reason to support a competitive platform. Despite the Fire Phone bombing, I don't think Amazon will just throw in the towel and decide to go BlackBerry for their phone solution.

Posted via CB10

[Tre Lawrence]

I don't think Blackberry and Amazon really are partners. Amazon probably just paid Blackberry a certain sum of money to have their app store preinstalled on all BB10 devices, just like how Google pays Apple to be the default search engine in iOS. Not a partnership but more like a transaction.

I'm willing to bet good money that if any money changed hands, it was in the other direction.

BBRY needs Amazon WAY more than the other way round.

[Tre Lawrence]

I think there is a general misconception around here about how the Amazon app store would fix all our app problems.

In my honest opinion, it's doing more harm than good and is a half baked band aid solution currently. Snap has currently been considerably more useful at solving my app gap. Not to mention upgrading from a Z10 to a Passport has been like downgrading back to the early days of BB10 in terms of apps. Sorry to say.

I don't disagree with your sentiment, except that I would extend this to a runtime as a whole. I get why it was conceived, but it won't be a long term fix IMHO.

[Mirk]

I don't disagree with your sentiment, except that I would extend this to a runtime as a whole. I get why it was conceived, but it won't be a long term fix IMHO.

I assume you meant "wouldn't" and if that is the case I would have to agree.

I understand why the runtime was incorporated into BB10 and it's fairly easy to draw the conclusion that we would be pretty much dead in the water without it. But, this shift in focus to "side loading" apps from a third party store, rather than their previous model of porting apps into BB World is the issue. I'd be hard pressed to say I'm better off without Snap, but I wouldn't say I've realized any benefit from Amazon. The inevitable problem is that by adding Amazon they've taken the developers focus away from BB World, reportedly even encouraging certain developers to move over to Amazon.

[ljfong]

It is a lopsided partnership with senior and junior partners. BlackBerry is the junior partner here and will be for quite a while until they sell more and gain stronger marketshare.

[mona5804]

Maybe this is a way for blackberry to slowly kill off its consumer user base and handset market. I hope I'm wrong..

Posted via CB10

[lawguyman]

I assume you meant "wouldn't" and if that is the case I would have to agree.

I understand why the runtime was incorporated into BB10 and it's fairly easy to draw the conclusion that we would be pretty much dead in the water without it. But, this shift in focus to "side loading" apps from a third party store, rather than their previous model of porting apps into BB World is the issue. I'd be hard pressed to say I'm better off without Snap, but I wouldn't say I've realized any benefit from Amazon. The inevitable problem is that by adding Amazon they've taken the developers focus away from BB World, reportedly even encouraging certain developers to move over to Amazon.

BlackBerry never got traction with the right developers. Netflix never came on board. Instagram never did. The list goes on and on. BlackBerry was simply recognizing what had already happened but could not change. Amazon is a good move in theory.

Posted via CB10

[imz]

Small devs aren't interested in BlackBerry, the big devs definitely aren't.

Amazon is a last ditch attempt to appease the consumers via the android compatibility.

BlackBerry is full on enterprise, even though the other eco systems have more business orientated apps whether it's for accounting like Wazeapps, native banking, etc

Posted via CB10

[SnoozerBold]

I'm willing to bet good money that if any money changed hands, it was in the other direction.

BBRY needs Amazon WAY more than the other way round.

That's exact hat I was thinking.
As for how it's been implemented? Yeah, it wasn't the best but it does give people access to more apps which is good. I don't know much about passport compatibility since I don't own one. I've had good luck with android apps on my Z30 but others report they don't work well. Hopefully it gets better for everybody over time.

Posted via CB10

[SmileDahling]

BlackBerry's partnership with Amazon sounds nice in theory but in reality, Amazon isn't doing anything to make sure BlackBerry users have access to the complete Amazon ecosystem:

1. Amazon Music: Playing a downloaded Prime song crashes the App every time.

2. Amazon Fire TV Stick: Miracast does not connect with a BlackBerry. The App cannot see the Fire TV Stick and thus is useless.

3. Prime Video: Still not supported although some have it working on 10.3.1.

4. Many apps are unavailable on Passport even though they work. There is a thread about this in the Passport forum.

So, what does BlackBerry get by preloading the Amazon's appstore on BlackBerry devices? At best, we get partial access to an ecosystem. Important things don't work or are unavailable. This is unacceptable.

I'm surprised that there hasn't been more discussion about this.

Posted via CB10

In regards to the second point, can someone confirm that a BlackBerry doesn't work with Amazon Fire TV? I'm trying to decide between that and the Roku 3 which I've heard works with BlackBerry Miracast. I prefer the Fire UI to the Roku UI but would go with the Roku 3 if I can't Miracast to the Fire.



Posted via my gorgeous Passport

[mlbrowninsc]

I just installed the latest leak and have not even opened or logged into the Amazon app store. I actually put the icon into a folder of apps I don't use. I installed snap and have used that to get all my android apps. At least the ones I use which aren't many.

Passport on AT&T

[anon(6038817)]

Valid points, OP. But I don't think this is a partnership in the strictest sense of the word. Rather, it is a mutual agreement. Maybe not even that much. A mutual understanding.

BlackBerry noticed that the Amazon Appstore installed easily and ran decently in 10.2.1 and saw that as a way to try to bridge the app gap. So they sought permission to pre-install it in future OS releases to which Amazon happily agreed since it's not exactly popular among average Android users.

I think BlackBerry is actively working to improve the Android runtime and make more apps run better, but I seriously doubt Amazon is devoting any substantial resources to improving BB10 compatibility from their end.

Thus is the state of things with BB10 handsets making up a very small fraction of total smartphone market share. Under the circumstances, the Amazon Appstore integration is probably one of the only things BB could have done to try to address the app issue.

I use the Amazon Appstore on my Q10 and have installed several apps from it. I feel I'm better off with it than without it.
Sent from my Lumia 822

[BerryPirate]

I solved the app situation by getting an IPhone.

[bakron1]

I solved the app situation by getting an IPhone.

Great, I am happy for you, you should be on the iPhone forums bragging about your new toy.

Sent from my lovely passport on T Mobile USA

[CrackberryQ]

I would believe that amazon would happily open up apis for BlackBerry to produce their own native apps like facebook and twitter, ultimately a BlackBerry problem.

Passport Powered

[lawguyman]

I would believe that amazon would happily open up apis for BlackBerry to produce their own native apps like facebook and twitter, ultimately a BlackBerry problem.

Passport Powered

It's not as simple as that.

When testing Fire TV, Amazon never thought to make sure it would work with BlackBerry?



Posted via CB10

[dpeters11]

In regards to the second point, can someone confirm that a BlackBerry doesn't work with Amazon Fire TV? I'm trying to decide between that and the Roku 3 which I've heard works with BlackBerry Miracast. I prefer the Fire UI to the Roku UI but would go with the Roku 3 if I can't Miracast to the Fire.



Posted via my gorgeous Passport

I don't have a Passport, I have a Z30, and a Fire stick. I tried Miracast, it shows up on the FireTV as connecting, but never does. I also downloaded the Fire Remote Android app. It launches fine, but never finds the Fire, on the same wifi network.