[conite]

Since they're supporting Android Gingerbread (2.3), Honeycomb (3.0), and Ice Cream Sandwich (4.0) still, people should be able to get a couple more years out of the Android version of WhatsApp on their BB10 devices.

Edit: re: battery usage. If you can, grab an extended battery and door while they're still available, and make yourself a fatberry.

That may be true.

But what is strange is why WhatsApp did not simply suggest we all just get the Android app. It's on Amazon, so they could have easily proposed a migration process.

What they DID say was that BB10 did not "offer the kind of capabilities we need to expand our app's features in the FUTURE."

I'm really stumped by how they choose to handle this. Do they know something about the Runtime a year from now that we don't?

[KemKev]

Keeping my Passport til it dies

This ^^^. Simply a delight to use...

[KemKev]

The context is not only one app, but others may follow soon. And also that Chen is not interested anymore in bb10 apart from 2 security builds this year.

I wish people would stop repeating that bit of silliness. The market has spoken, not Chen. He would deserve to be fired if he kept on pouring millions into an OS that the market has refused to embrace.

[KemKev]

You say you will stick around with the Z10 till it dies, but as I remember, that means you'll only stick around for 4 hours till you need to find a charger again...

There's a difference between when the phone dies and when the battery dies

[mf1982]

BlackBerry wrote the PlayBook for how to kill an OS.

People keep saying it's just one app, it's really just one app that announced. How many apps are never updated anymore? How many apps for Android gain new features while the BlackBerry version is left for dead?

Unfortunately no matter how much we all love BB10, the writing is unfortunately on the wall. If you want to be able to do what people in 2016 or 2017 can do with their phones, BB10 is dying a slow death. It will work for a while yet, but so does the 5 year old PlayBook. It doesn't work well, but it technically functions.

Before people go on more about WhatsApp, I had it on my PlayBook for a few hours a few years ago before deleting it, this decision doesn't affect me personally. It might be a chatting app, but how about the Android users to get photo cheque deposit on their phones while I either have to sideload and hope, or for the average consumer go to the bank to deposit cheques?

If you're ok with your $500 smartphone becoming a feature phone, that's you're call. I'm disappointed and frustrated by all the mistakes made along the way. I can wish it were different, but it's not and that's just the reality of the situation.


Posted via CB10

[blackburberry]

You won't have to until 2017.

They probably need to tweak the compatibility flags on Amazon. Others have said it's there. No matter, you can download it directly from the developer.

Correct, but you must use your phone browser.

[Andrew4life]

if you're important enough in your circle of friends, you might be able to get everyone to switch to BBM since they'll otherwise be unable to contact you on Whatsapp. Silver lining?

Posted via CB10

[djpaan]

Well, it is not just one app. Viber isn't supporting q20 for example, explaining that they only work on touch screen only phones. Older viber apk is barely usable. Unfortunately, this trend can continue...

Posted via CB10

[Vistaus]

I don't blame you. Anyone who gets a passport or any bb10 device for that matter got about another good year or so.

Posted via CB10

Or longer, depending on what you do with your phone. My mum and I are good for another 2 years or so with our Passports and my dad even longer because he always uses phones lightly, although he does seem a bit more on it now that he got his first BB, the Leap, since about a week

[Djlatino]

There's a difference between when the phone dies and when the battery dies

You'd think that with that kind of battery life, the phone is trying to tell you something, lol!

It's getting dark in here real quick.

[bobshine]

Right when I was planning for PPSE, whatsapp gave the final blow, I am afraid that other apps will soon follow, and this is really not good. I will stick with my z10 until it dies.

Posted via the CrackBerry App for Android

What other apps??? Lol

Posted via CB10

[Zmain]

Blackberry will eventually end complete support of bb10
Just like it did for previous generation devices.

Posted via CB10

[xtremeled]

It's one app and it's really just a text msg replacement. I have it but rarely (if ever) use it. Besides there's BBM which you can ask your friends and family to download on their phones if a program such as that is really that crucial (it isn't).

Anyway, to me the Passport is a device so efficient and powerful, that one or two apps isn't going to sway me. I know that BB10 development may be put on hiatus but it's not like the phone will suddenly stop working.

Enjoy your devices while there's still enjoyment to be had

I've read this many times before. Your chosen platform no longer supports one of the most popular chat apps on the planet and you want everyone one else to adopt a similar app that is supported by your out of date hardware..LOL

[xtremeled]

Won't there be any remedy?

Posted via CB10

No! There wont! Think PLAYBOOK!!!!

[ljfong]

What other apps??? Lol

Posted via CB10

Evernote is probably the only well-known app developer that has not officially dropped support for BB10. WhatsApp and Evernote have been the two most prominent stalwarts that have stayed on BB10 bandwagon much longer than everyone else.

[anon(9742832)]

I do not use whatsapp but can you not sideload it?

[JRF_1986]

I use Whatsapp a lot for friends, family and coworkers. In general I use FB messenger the most for personal matters but the Android version wouldn't work as smooth on my Q10. Whatsapp was a great app that I wish would not be abandoning BB10. I see why some would see it as unnecessary, but to me this has importance to it.

[Plazmic Flame]

That may be true.

But what is strange is why WhatsApp did not simply suggest we all just get the Android app. It's on Amazon, so they could have easily proposed a migration process.

What they DID say was that BB10 did not "offer the kind of capabilities we need to expand our app's features in the FUTURE."

I'm really stumped by how they choose to handle this. Do they know something about the Runtime a year from now that we don't?

What was said by WhatsApp was a blanket statement directed to not just BB10 users but also Nokia and WindowsPhone 7.1 users. Their blanket statement just gave directions to get a newer phone, which makes sense. Even if they gave separate directions for each platform, it still would not be smart for them to tell BB10 users to download the Android APK because this would come off as an "official" solution, which it is not. That would also mean they would be "officially" offering support as well but we know they definitely are not.

So their simple statement keeps things simple. Get a new device, Android or iOS. The end. (They keep themselves out of any trouble this way)

[conite]

What was said by WhatsApp was a blanket statement directed to not just BB10 users but also Nokia and WindowsPhone 7.1 users. Their blanket statement just gave directions to get a newer phone, which makes sense. Even if they gave separate directions for each platform, it still would not be smart for them to tell BB10 users to download the Android APK because this would come off as an "official" solution, which it is not. That would also mean they would be "officially" offering support as well but we know they definitely are not.

So their simple statement keeps things simple. Get a new device, Android or iOS. The end. (They keep themselves out of any trouble this way)

It's unfortunate that all of the major newspapers in Canada reported "WhatsApp no longer supporting BlackBerry".

Had WhatsApp said "our app is moving to Amazon appstore, and we apologise for any inconvenience", it would not have even registered.

Sucks.

[Plazmic Flame]

It's unfortunate that all of the major newspapers in Canada reported "WhatsApp no longer supporting BlackBerry".

Had WhatsApp said "our app is moving to Amazon appstore, and we apologise for any inconvenience", it would not have even registered.

Sucks.

That was definitely a low blow at BlackBerry. I personally didn't see it in the newspapers but MANY online articles had headlines about Whatsapp ending support for BlackBerry but then in the middle of the article it would briefly mention Nokia and WindowsPhone 7.1

It's some sneaky bull and I wish there was a way to combat this type of crap but unfortunately, BlackBerry is a small dog in the room with two other big dogs.

[HDQ]

If you don't mind me asking, how's the integration between whatsapp android and the hub? Can we open the chat straight from the hub, or will it just show preview of the last message received, and tap to open the app?

Posted via Z30

Unfortunately you cannot open/reply the chat directly from the HUB.
There will be one HUB notification indicating you've received one whatsapp message, and by tapping it whatsapp will be launched.

[guygardner73]

Sorry, I read the title and assumed this was a story about a retiring prostitute. I'm leaving now.

PassportSQW100-1/10.3.2.2876

[anon(8063781)]

What they DID say was that BB10 did not "offer the kind of capabilities we need to expand our app's features in the FUTURE."

I'm really stumped by how they choose to handle this. Do they know something about the Runtime a year from now that we don't?

Well, actually, if we're splitting hairs, they said that the OS's collectively did not offer the capabilities needed to expand features in the future. I can understand the statement when applied to early versions of Android, Symbian, BBOS, and possibly Windows Phone 7.1, but it looks like they were just lazy and didn't want to explain the decision with respect to BB10. I have to believe that the BB10 decision is simply related to market share and BlackBerry's announcements that they won't be actively updating the OS in the future, beyond a couple of promised security updates.

I doubt this is related to the runtime, but I'm just speculating. No one knows for sure. I'd be shocked if they deprecated Android 4.0 devices in 2017 though, much less devices running 4.1 and 4.2.

[Corsari]

Unfortunately people thinking "is just one app" is not thinking about the masses.

This blog post is an huge advertising spot that hits soooo heavily on the BlackBerry smartphones market (if any is still existing)

Which mean that potential new buyers will skip buying the BlackBerry smartphone because it won't (they will understand from that news) work with whatsapp.

This will turn in less funds for BlackBerry which will sink even faster (unless as I have written, they already are not focusing on different core business and they forgot and abandoned the smartphones since some time now)

At a certain point no funds, no services like mails download and your BlackBerry will become a simple phone with some Internet functionalities mostly done by non native apps that will die as soon android runtime version will be deprecated.

So let's discover what is the real plan of BlackBerry:
- no counter moves? They planned to sink since ages ago
- counter moves are taken? They need to take them hurrying sooo much, since the spot on the whatsapp blog is an enormous damage. But if they take it, well we can hope they still trust in the smartphones market.

Posted via CB10

[anon(9821186)]

Absolutely. It's on Amazon.

Although notifications in the HUB simply launch the app.

There is also concern about how long BB10's Jellybean Runtime will be supported by the app, and increased battery usage.

Android phones are still being sold with jelly bean.

Posted via CB10