[svelt]

Sideloading is not the answer!

I find it a little disconcerting that this claim, which we all agree is true, keeps getting repeated in this thread, as if it were gainsaying the OP's point. But his point wasn't that 10.2 will close the app gap because we can all sideload to our hearts content.

Yes, he wrote:



But he also wrote:



Sideloading isn't the answer; it's the evidence that there are plenty of apps that could be in BB World but aren't. If an app can run sideloaded, it can run "front-loaded", i.e., downloaded from BB World. 10.2 simple makes more such Android apps within easy reach of BB World.

Those who say that Android ports aren't the answer need to come up with an alternative answer that makes sense. Microsoft has taken the purist route: Allowing only native apps into their ecosystem and presumably paying incentives to developers to bring them. The WP app market still isn't getting high praise from many. But Microsoft can afford to take the long view, to bribe and wait. One of the things they're waiting for is for BlackBerry to die, so they can have the undivided attention of all who seek an alternative to iOS and Android --- consumers and developers alike.

This strategy isn't open to BlackBerry. They need to move more quickly. So if they don't take advantage of the platform's ability to run Android apps, what's plan B? I grant that plan A may nevertheless fail, but it seems to me a drop-dead certainty that waiting for enough native apps to turn things around is a short walk off an even shorter plank.

As far as I can see, there is no plan B. If the strategy of having Android ports in BB World fails, then BB10 fails. If it succeeds, it becomes at least possible that some of these ports will be upgraded to native, if the demand warrants it.

That's why I increasingly see BlackBerry's BB10 app commerce model as a very, very narrow path, with no room at all for error.

Anecdote: I had some correspondence with an independent developer today. I won't reveal his name or the app name, but it's a native app that's currently in free beta form. I asked if he was still working on it. He replied that he was, but it's a low priority because the demand is so low. He's mainly an Android developer, but likes BB10. He can't spend the time on it, however, because he has a family to provide for. If he had an Android version of the app, it might be different.

You basically summed it up. BBRY MUST leverage its advantage of running Android apps, and MUST advertise this feature to have a hope against WP. I've convinced a WP user complaining about the lack of apps for his phone into looking at the Z10, just because it was actually able to use more of the apps he needed to through sideloading than his Nokia could.

[MasterOfBinary]

I thought I was going to miss all my favorite apps from my old device. But then I discovered most of them have mobile sites that fit perfectly on my q10 screen. Travel, movie sites, shopping. Then I post the links to my home screen. I don't even miss having the apps now because everything I want to do I can do with the mobile sites.

Posted via CB10 with my BBQ

This isn't a solution either, because most people prefer apps over mobile websites.

Sent from my BlackBerry 9320 using Tapatalk

[dantephil]

The question is - are we getting headless apps (finally)???

Posted via CB10

[lawguyman]

People say they want native Apps and I understand that. In the past, most Android apps ran poorly and most did not run at all.

I think that when the 10.2 Android runtime is complete this sentiment will go away because the apps run so well now.

Also, no matter what I or anyone else says, people still say that I am suggesting that side loading go mainstream. Of course, that will never happen. The Apps need to get into BlackBerry World.



Posted via CB10

[Gnomesane]

The question is - are we getting headless apps (finally)???

Posted via CB10

The answer is yes. Well it's supported in 10.2. I'm looking forward to using Hub++ without the active frame.

Posted via CB10

[19andy91]

an easy solution is going through the google playstore testing all apps converting to bar and uploading to blackberry world of course it would never happen like this sadly but its a quick way of getting apps on the app store it would get all the major apps with out developers doing much at all but yes most of us would love native apps plus there is no way google or the developers would probably allow blackberry to do it easy to think of but very hard to even begin to figure out how to actually implement it

[19andy91]

Google Play knows whether you have a specific Android device or whether you've got nothing. You've got nothing. Google is not going to allow BBRY into the Play store.

if thats true why did i get some andriod apks from the google play store on my computer .... using an andriod emulator the google playstore still thought i had my htc desire z from 2 years ago im pretty sure it wouldnt be to hard to load a proper emulator on a bb10 phone and fool the google play store tbh but another option for maybe a deal is the amazon store they seem to have alot of the apps google play does ( thats the impression i got from the blue stacks emulator ) maybe do a deal with amazon to get the amazon app store instead of google

[cgk]

an easy solution is going through the google playstore testing all apps converting to bar and uploading to blackberry world of course it would never happen like this sadly but its a quick way of getting apps on the app store it would get all the major apps with out developers doing much at all but yes most of us would love native apps plus there is no way google or the developers would probably allow blackberry to do it easy to think of but very hard to even begin to figure out how to actually implement it

If I am reading your suggestion correctly - you are suggesting that bbry engages in IP theft!

[hootyhoo]

Side loading is not a feature for the masses. It is for developers.

Alec Saunders clears up the debate on the future of side-loading for the BlackBerry PlayBook | CrackBerry.com

[JasW]

if thats true why did i get some andriod apks from the google play store on my computer .... using an andriod emulator the google playstore still thought i had my htc desire z from 2 years ago im pretty sure it wouldnt be to hard to load a proper emulator on a bb10 phone and fool the google play store tbh but another option for maybe a deal is the amazon store they seem to have alot of the apps google play does ( thats the impression i got from the blue stacks emulator ) maybe do a deal with amazon to get the amazon app store instead of google

Why don't you write to Thor with that suggestion? Make sure to identify yourself as the President and CEO of Pirates R Us.

It's not a question of whether someone can jerry rig something to fool Google Play. It's whether Google would ever allow BBRY official access to Google Play.

[Jeremy Bivens]

I'd take poor apps over no apps though

Posted via CB10

Which is why I suspect, major app devs do not want to port their apps over. They do not want to tarnish their image.

The problem is that, if I'm a user who simply wants a good phone, (no specific brand loyalty), then I'm going to stray away from BlackBerry b/c a strong percentage of the available apps are laggy, inconsistent, and down right ugly. That's not only a lost customer, but a bad review, as well.

[Jeremy Bivens]

I'd like to say that I do support the Android Runtime. It's a great feature that shows how a company can utilize an open system & I can't wait for 10.2 just to witness the capabilities of the Runtime. BUT I think the issue is much larger than sideloading apps. Its Brand Development. BBY needs to build its own ecosystem, not ride the coat tails of another's. If all my top apps are coming from Android, why not buy an Android instead (with true, supported updates)? I look at Runtime similar to Tony Stark in Iron Man 2 = what's keeping you alive is also killing you IF its not a sufficient solution. I understand that BBY can't force devs to make the apps, but we must understand that porting them isn't a solution, either.

*idea for a Solution to the problem::: What BlackBerry needs, is its own, phenomenal stack of apps and games. You don't know how many people got iPhones simply because they wanted to play Dooors, Fun Run, and Instagram (pre-Android). When BlackBerry has its own game or sharing app explosion, it will generate mass interest. Right now, BBM is that ace-in-the-hole. But if it's not enough, we need our own community that turns heads.

[ubizmo]

The problem is that, if I'm a user who simply wants a good phone, (no specific brand loyalty), then I'm going to stray away from BlackBerry b/c a strong percentage of the available apps are laggy, inconsistent, and down right ugly. That's not only a lost customer, but a bad review, as well.

I have over 30 apps on my Z10. A good number of them are Android ports from BB World (Kindle, Waze, Check, Tapatalk, CNN, IM+, AnkiBerry, YouVersion, to mention a few). Most of them work just fine. The notable exception is CNN, which is very slow and somewhat buggy. As for ugliness, they're obviously no uglier than the Android originals, and the ugliness doesn't seem to be a problem for them on the Android platform. With 10.2, the navigation bar is permanent, but a bit narrower than it is on 10.1, leaving more screen space available. This reduces whatever confusion there was in having to swipe down to bring up the navigation bar before using it. It makes the user experience with Android ports more similar to that of native BB10 apps.

People sometimes say that being able to port Android apps encourages laziness on the part of developers. It's easier to port than to code a native app, so why should the developer bother. But it's not laziness; it's economics. Developers, other than hobbyists, need to make a living. Their time and talent are their only resource and they have to invest is wisely. A small start-up platform, which is what BB10 currently is, is a risky venture. The return on investment of time and money is very uncertain. It's not laziness that keeps developers away, it's risk-aversiveness. Being able to port Android apps that are already built reduces the risk factor hugely. That's why Android ports to BB World (not sideloads) were and are the only way forward for BB10, given that BlackBerry, unlike Microsoft, cannot afford to play the waiting game, and also cannot afford to bring an entire cloud integrated office suite to the table.

[meltbox360]

I have a feeling some app developers may just be waiting for 10.2 to drop. However what really caught my attention is the framework that allows iOS apps to instantly (or very quickly) be ported to BB10... Forgot the name of it Dx

The Story Behind iOS App Player on BlackBerry 10 | The Gadget Masters

[Gnomesane]

I have a feeling some app developers may just be waiting for 10.2 to drop. However what really caught my attention is the framework that allows iOS apps to instantly (or very quickly) be ported to BB10... Forgot the name of it Dx

The Story Behind iOS App Player on BlackBerry 10 | The Gadget Masters

Interesting. Thanks for the link.

Funny, imagine if Android could run iOS or vice versa... It probably would generate press, no?

BlackBerry running Android and/or iOS? YAWN...

Perception is everything.