[bitek]

Here is my take on the situation with apps and android developers. I believe that the reason why we have not seen more premium android port apps in blackberry store is because developers feel that the experience is not great. lets be honest. Android apps run just ok on 10.1. They are not smooth, some have issues and overall great experience is not there. I think many developers feel the same way and do not want to put their name and hard worked reputation behind half baked solution. Also they do not want to develop native apps for BB10 because user base is low and the company feature is uncertain. But now comes 10.2. 10.2 should sway at least some of top developers to port Android apps to blackberry. 10.2 experience with android apps is night and day compared to 10.1

lets take one app as an example appl like Taptu.

This is one of few top developers who decided to port their app to blackberry. The results were less than stellar. Poor reviews, complains that the app is sloooooooooooooooow. Average score of 3 out of 5 stars.The app was slow. Scrolling was jerky and overall experience was bad.

The same app running on Blackberry 10.2 The experience is night and day. The app runs way better. News load faster, scrolling is not jerky any more. it is pleasure to use this app. I've left comment in blackberry world and let rating 4 out 5. Because the experience is that much improved. My test of other android apps on my z10 with leaked 10.2 gives the same results.

I think developers who will give blackberry a second look with 10.2 will have the same feeling and they will decide to port their apps to app world.

[qbnkelt]

I hope you are right. Time will tell.

[Bold_until_Hybrid_Comes]

10.0 was supposed to fix the app problem

[cgk]

Here is my take on the situation with apps and android developers. I believe that the reason why we have not seen more premium android port apps in blackberry store is because developers feel that the experience is not great.

No it's because the phones don't sell and because nobody knows if BBRY will even be making hardware in six months - everything else comes behind those reasons.

[mikeo007]

Your argument falls apart if developers had ANY reason other than "poor performance" for not porting their apps. Android app performance on 10.0 was touted as a better experience than on an actual Android phone. If that was the case, performance seems to be a non-factor as developers would have already ported.

Minuscule marketshare is the big reason why you will not see the majority of big name apps coming to BB10. Terrible quality control is also a big reason why you'll see smaller developers continue to move away from the platform.

This app situation is Blackberry's kobayashi maru. They even tried to take a page out of Kirk's book and "cheat" with the S4BB nonsense, but they still failed.

[MarsupilamiX]

Your argument falls apart if developers had ANY reason other than "poor performance" for not porting their apps. Android app performance on 10.0 was touted as a better experience than on an actual Android phone. If that was the case, performance seems to be a non-factor as developers would have already ported.

Minuscule marketshare is the big reason why you will not see the majority of big name apps coming to BB10. Terrible quality control is also a big reason why you'll see smaller developers continue to move away from the platform.

This app situation is Blackberry's kobayashi maru. They even tried to take a page out of Kirk's book and "cheat" with the S4BB nonsense, but they still failed.

The performance of the Android player before 10.2 ,really wasn't good, so I do wonder who came up with the notion, of BB10.0 Android ports having better performance than the actual Android counter parts.

Terrible quality control, doesn't stop people to make Android apps, so that point falls flat as well.

That doesn't mean that I really disagree with you though.
10.2 doesn't change the inherent problems of the platforms, and won't change the reasons most devs didn't code for it until now.

And I liked the Star Trek reference.

Posted via CB10

[FrankIAm]

I agree with you, we'll get more apps because the runtime got upgraded.

But I find it sad that we'll get more apps because the runtime got upgraded.

C0001BBF0 - BlackBerry 10 help channel.

[DisturbedRocks31]

10.0 was supposed to fix the app problem

You know, I have never seen a positive comment from you... all you do is bash BlackBerry and when someone calls you out, you just dismiss them by saying there's nothing + about BB. Whatever...



And to the OP: I don't think it matters how smooth the experience is with 10.2, the problem is that BB has too little market share. This might get small developers to BlackBerry 10 but big players will still not jump on board...

[badiyee]

the probably politically correct notion of your title, if I suggest to change it would sound something like this:

A. 10.2 should alleviate some sideloading apps problem.
B. 10.2 should bring more fun and options in sideloading android apps.
C. 10.2 should allow a better BlackBerry 10 experience running android apps.


or something along the lines. That said though, the gist of your presentation, about the 10.2 android runtime being more usable than the previous reiteration should stand true. At the very least, they are moving in a better direction with the 10.2 update, at least for the entire BB10 experience. It wouldn't be like the legacy OS's updates in which people would actually argue whether to upgrade or not. At the very least, there are more positives in the upgrades in the OS-es, and I think every BB10 users should be happy.

[mikeo007]

You know, I have never seen a positive comment from you... all you do is bash BlackBerry and when someone calls you out, you just dismiss them by saying there's nothing + about BB. Whatever...

Take a look at ANY of his posts pre January 2013 and I think you'll find yourself proven completely wrong. Although I'm not sure what the last straw was that broke the proverbial camel's back for Bold_until, but I imagine he's now in the same place as a lot of us. A once huge BB fan, who has been disappointed one too many times. Everyone had their limits, BB has been pushing more and more of them every day.

[badiyee]

Take a look at ANY of his posts pre January 2013 and I think you'll find yourself proven completely wrong. Although I'm not sure what the last straw was that broke the proverbial camel's back for Bold_until, but I imagine he's now in the same place as a lot of us. A once huge BB fan, who has been disappointed one too many times. Everyone had their limits, BB has been pushing more and more of them every day.

doesn't answer the question. If you don't like the platform, and from the various posts you made, it seems to impress upon me that you're either waiting to switch or had already switched to another platform, but still finding time to criticize everything.

Oh wait, criticize is an understatement. More like spewing every negative-s and then passing it on as facts to be gospel-spread.

By the logic of the post,

BB10 was supposed to fix all of BlackBerry user's faults.
BBOS6 devices should have killed the first 2-3 generations of iPhones.
BBOS7 and 7.1 should have been the devices that would keep "i will switch to facebook phone and android qwertyphones yo" people from ever changing to Android.

To which we all know it didn't exactly go as planned. Nevertheless, the company could go under and I don't really give much of thought. The only thing that would upset me is the need to replace the phone since BIS wouldn't work, and having a much more difficult choice of buying a z30 or go buy an Android, since the z30 should work in an event of post-BlackBerry event does occur.

[greenberry666]

Take a look at ANY of his posts pre January 2013 and I think you'll find yourself proven completely wrong. Although I'm not sure what the last straw was that broke the proverbial camel's back for Bold_until, but I imagine he's now in the same place as a lot of us. A once huge BB fan, who has been disappointed one too many times. Everyone had their limits, BB has been pushing more and more of them every day.

I called him out once too then realised there had been a polar shift, as you just said.

Come on bold_until_hybrid what was the final straw that changed your outlook?

Fable Publishing: C0012255F

[mikeo007]

doesn't answer the question. If you don't like the platform, and from the various posts you made, it seems to impress upon me that you're either waiting to switch or had already switched to another platform, but still finding time to criticize everything.

Oh wait, criticize is an understatement. More like spewing every negative-s and then passing it on as facts to be gospel-spread.

Huh? I wasn't even talking to you, nor was the post about me to begin with.

You forum police need to get your facts straight. Everyone has equal rights to post here as long as they follow the rules. In fact, you're breaking the rules by criticizing other members rather than discussing the topic.

[Dunt Dunt Dunt]

doesn't answer the question. If you don't like the platform, and from the various posts you made, it seems to impress upon me that you're either waiting to switch or had already switched to another platform, but still finding time to criticize everything.

Oh wait, criticize is an understatement. More like spewing every negative-s and then passing it on as facts to be gospel-spread.

By the logic of the post,

BB10 was supposed to fix all of BlackBerry user's faults.
BBOS6 devices should have killed the first 2-3 generations of iPhones.
BBOS7 and 7.1 should have been the devices that would keep "i will switch to facebook phone and android qwertyphones yo" people from ever changing to Android.

To which we all know it didn't exactly go as planned. Nevertheless, the company could go under and I don't really give much of thought. The only thing that would upset me is the need to replace the phone since BIS wouldn't work, and having a much more difficult choice of buying a z30 or go buy an Android, since the z30 should work in an event of post-BlackBerry event does occur.

No BBM, No BlackBerry World, No updates to the OS, No updates to the Browser (and FLASH)... no idea really what will happen.

I don't use BBM, but everything on the device seems to want to access it and get permission to use. I have to wonder just how integrated BBM is into BB10, what happens if it were to not be able to connect to the NOC? Would it silently sit there, would it notify you over and over?

Has anyone tried to disable or uninstall BBM?

[badiyee]

Huh? I wasn't even talking to you, nor was the post about me to begin with.

You forum police need to get your facts straight. Everyone has equal rights to post here as long as they follow the rules. In fact, you're breaking the rules by criticizing other members rather than discussing the topic.

sorry, i'm not talking about you too. I'm only talking about the post that was quoted, which was the poster quoting never seen (poster x) giving positive comments, and you jumped in straight to speak on (poster x)'s behalf.

I didn't even do what-sort-of-policing jibberish you just mentioned. Such as you have the right to post, I have also the right to post. Am I posting to criticize? Probably, but my intention is simple: I highlight a point of contention, and speak against that point raised.

Please, you think people here got vendetta against you or something? Probably there will be forum posters upset about the post made, which to begin with wasn't even made in good faith, so speaking about that now is an issue? I've even pointed that how the argument's logic could turn out, so its wrong to actually attempt to engage a negative point?

Wow. I didn't know that negativity cannot be engaged with to negate the negativity. Just, WOW.

[bitek]

10.0 was supposed to fix the app problem

well it did fix app problem compared to legacy os.

[berklon]

10.2 is not going to make any real difference.

Few are going to port over their Android apps because there are barely any people with BB10 phones. And few people will buy BB10 phones because there are no apps. It's a catch-22, but that's what happens when you show up to market this late and the competition laps you a few times.

There's no hope at this point. Just wait for the fire sale.

[bitek]

No it's because the phones don't sell and because nobody knows if BBRY will even be making hardware in six months - everything else comes behind those reasons.

that comment is logical and yet new cool apps are coming daily. i guess not all developers are logical

Your argument falls apart if developers had ANY reason other than "poor performance" for not porting their apps. Android app performance on 10.0 was touted as a better experience than on an actual Android phone. If that was the case, performance seems to be a non-factor as developers would have already ported.

Minuscule marketshare is the big reason why you will not see the majority of big name apps coming to BB10. Terrible quality control is also a big reason why you'll see smaller developers continue to move away from the platform.

This app situation is Blackberry's kobayashi maru. They even tried to take a page out of Kirk's book and "cheat" with the S4BB nonsense, but they still failed.

it is the reason. porting android apps to blackberry does not involve a lot of man power.i do realize that the process is more complicated than say me converting apps and putting them on my phone. but it is still nothing compared to developing actual native app.

i contacted some developers before like flipboard or other to officially port their apps to blackberry. common answer was that they would not do it because experience was not the best. i guess flipboard had change of heart. and i am not surprised because flipboard on 10.2 runs way much smoother than on 10.1. experience is simply very good.

[bitek]

10.2 is not going to make any real difference.

Few are going to port over their Android apps because there are barely any people with BB10 phones. And few people will buy BB10 phones because there are no apps. It's a catch-22, but that's what happens when you show up to market this late and the competition laps you a few times.

There's no hope at this point. Just wait for the fire sale.

whow, you are so pessimistic. i am surprised you own any blackberry phone.

it will make difference.

[Moonbase0ne]

I really don't think side loading is the answer to BlackBerry's app problem. I certainly would not recommend a BB phone to someone who was really interested in more apps. Why would I, when there are 3 other platforms that more than likely have the apps that they want in their app store?

I think BB10 is not selling for a lot of reasons, but the one reason I think a lot of people are in denial about, is that people probably just don't like BB10. They probably don't like all the swiping and the missing home/menu/back buttons. Maybe they didn't give it a chance, but when you go into the store and you already know what phone you're interested in, then you see a BlackBerry phone and you go to play with it and you see that it's so different in the sense that you don't have a home button, and now you have to swipe for everything, how much time do you think people would be willing to sit there and play with a BlackBerry before they simply move on to the phones they are more familiar with?

Not to mention if they did read up on BlackBerry beforehand and read about the issues they had (I'm talking more about at launch), like the rebooting, battery life, etc... Do you think the average person would care that an update is coming to fix those issues?

[EauRouge]

I hope you're right! Jelly bean support should have been with OS 10.0 IMO

[igor10000]

. A once huge BB fan, who has been disappointed one too many times..

Yes, so they decided to annoy everybody in almost each forum thread with their disappointment. Sorry, but I come here to get information, not to read about somebody�s hard feelings.

[BlackBerry Guy]

10.2 removes a lot of the technical barriers but it'll also now have to overcome some of the connotations the BlackBerry name bring along with it. They will have to decided if they want to support software for a company that has openly declared they are returning to a more enterprise focus.

That said, I hope the apps do come. But I'm not holding my breath.

[STV0726]

10.0 was supposed to fix the app problem

Yeaaaah...realistic goals and expectations though, folks.

-STV on Z10STL100-3/10.1.0.4780 TMO US

[badiyee]

I really don't think side loading is the answer to BlackBerry's app problem. I certainly would not recommend a BB phone to someone who was really interested in more apps. Why would I, when there are 3 other platforms that more than likely have the apps that they want in their app store?

I think BB10 is not selling for a lot of reasons, but the one reason I think a lot of people are in denial about, is that people probably just don't like BB10. They probably don't like all the swiping and the missing home/menu/back buttons. Maybe they didn't give it a chance, but when you go into the store and you already know what phone you're interested in, then you see a BlackBerry phone and you go to play with it and you see that it's so different in the sense that you don't have a home button, and now you have to swipe for everything, how much time do you think people would be willing to sit there and play with a BlackBerry before they simply move on to the phones they are more familiar with?

Not to mention if they did read up on BlackBerry beforehand and read about the issues they had (I'm talking more about at launch), like the rebooting, battery life, etc... Do you think the average person would care that an update is coming to fix those issues?

I think if we looked at some track record, I can offer only some words of condolences (that's how I see it). Meanwhile, it seems BB are trying to woo in indie devs that can offer an alternative to the existing suites, like what happened with the legacy OS app scene. I don't think it alters perception much, since there are hardliners in this forum (which I'll point to as the existence of such user base and also as a quantifying statement, per se) that would swear that they won't touch a BlackBerry until some big name apps like Instagram, Skype, or (insert flavour of the moment here) app comes to BlackBerry. What happens now is that can any indie devs create a similar app that would be a better alternative? I don't have the answer to this, but honestly I haven't seen any pro-BB indie devs / exclusive to BB-devs that have taken any ecosystem app store by storm, or by the balls, or depending on how you look at the situation.

All in all, the inclusion of an Android runtime is good for BlackBerry to woo the devs, since theorically, an up to date android player can give a sneak peek to devs how their apps would behave if ported, and how the apps can be further tuned if they make it native to BB10. But whether the devs would want to do it or not, is solely up to the devs. Monetization of the apps is after all a concern to all developers, whether it is a major or minor.