[rifka_f]

Has anyone noticed that iPhone and Android appear to be the preferred platforms for applications such as magazine subscriptions? Vogue and Chemical and Engineering News are two that I've come across. I do not want to use either of these platforms,but I have no assurance that BB10 will be able to use these apps. Comments?

[RoseBud68]

Its no surprise as the majority rules.

[californiablackberry]

It's been like that for quite sometime now. Windows Phone and WebOS are also usually left out so don't feel too bad.

[southlander]

Yep. Been that way. Once in a while I see iPhone android and blackberry. But almost all newer apps seem to not support traditional blackberry.

Sent from my flip-phone.

[Taigatrommel]

One word: Marketshare. Android and iOS combined simply rule the smartphone market. Even RIM and Windows Phone combined couldn't compete - at least in North America and Europe. So I simply guess why some companies should bother with minor plattforms.

Actually it is an unfortunate circle:
People only see "Android, iPhone" here and there, thus buying those phones. The lack of apps results in a lack of users which again leads to a lack of applications.

[youknwwho]

Same there for WP. Look up Viber for WP, you won't see any thing

[jthep]

RIM has 78 million users worldwide, that is nothing to sneeze at. I am not sure if RIM or the app developers are to blame or both, but when you have numbers like that, you should get all the apps too.

[Dunt Dunt Dunt]

RIM has 78 million users worldwide, that is nothing to sneeze at. I am not sure if RIM or the app developers are to blame or both, but when you have numbers like that, you should get all the apps too.

But if you take those 78 million users and recognize you need to split the users based on OS version numbers - most cases an app design for OS6 will not run on OS7 and OS7 design apps might not run on OS6 (never mind people with OS 4 or 5 devices still on the market due to the length of Corporate accounts or reselling of older devices). And now with BB10 coming how confusing will it be to build a "BlackBerry" app? How do you explain that an app is for only some "BlackBerries" not all of them?

Next you might as well subtract all the users that are not in your target market - how many Vogue readers are there in India?

It is just not worth even trying... to accommodate such a small fractured group of customers. (and let's face it RIM's OB has been written - it isn't true at this point, but the fact that it could be a possibility IS affecting many people's decisions to support BB devices in the future)


PS: My Bank just introduced a new feature, you can take a picture of a check you have received and deposit it into your account without ever going to the bank. Not sure if there are any catches (fees, or extended wait periods), but I did notice that it was only for iOS and Android powered devices.

[PedroBorgas]

Yup, same here in Portugal!

There are no magazines or news apps for BBs, but there are swarms of them to the little r2d2 and for that fruit that almost kiiled Snow White lol

My Tv provider has an awsome app for smartphones and tablets, but, its not available in App World... I guess they don't even know what that is...

Yup...

Sent from a beautiful but old BB 8520 or a new and shinny PB 2.0

[app_Developer]

When banks and other companies do this, it reinforces the idea that Android and iOS are the only two OSes normal consumers should consider. It's like the early days of personal computers, where where were lots of choices and some people preferred Tandy, others Amiga, BeOS and so on. But at the end of the day, if you weren't using Windows then you simply missed out on a lot of good applications.

If BB10 is a success in the market then banks and others will support it.

[sentimentGX4]

RIM has 78 million users worldwide, that is nothing to sneeze at. I am not sure if RIM or the app developers are to blame or both, but when you have numbers like that, you should get all the apps too.

You also have to consider that the Blackberry form factor is unideal for the bulk of Android and iOS apps. You have non-touchscreen Curves, low resolution across the board, unconventional display dimensions , weak CPU/GPU, etc.

App developers are not eager to put extra effort for a huge GUI facelift for a third place OS. They're also not encouraged by a form factor that offers a horrible user experience. I don't think it's difficult to see why magazines/newspapers would look a lot better on full touchscreen devices than a Blackberry.

(Hopefully, BB10 fixes these issues.)

[JasW]

You also have to consider that the Blackberry form factor is unideal for the bulk of Android and iOS apps. You have non-touchscreen Curves, low resolution across the board, unconventional display dimensions , weak CPU/GPU, etc.

App developers are not eager to put extra effort for a huge GUI facelift for a third place OS. They're also not encouraged by a form factor that offers a horrible user experience. I don't think it's difficult to see why magazines/newspapers would look a lot better on full touchscreen devices than a Blackberry.

I don't think magazines look good on any smartphone, or even on a 7" tablet. Maybe if you just look at the pictures, but the best experience would be on a 10" tab.

In any event, the overarching point here is a sad but true one: if you rock a BB in the U.S., you are a second-class citizen.

[amazinglygraceless]

I don't think magazines look good on any smartphone, or even on a 7" tablet. Maybe if you just look at the pictures, but the best experience would be on a 10" tab.

AMEN!


...and stuff

[ErnestoBB]

PS: My Bank just introduced a new feature, you can take a picture of a check you have received and deposit it into your account without ever going to the bank. Not sure if there are any catches (fees, or extended wait periods), but I did notice that it was only for iOS and Android powered devices.

I've had the same feature for my Blackberry for months on my bank

[ErnestoBB]

in NYC subway, you see the TUNEIN app just available for iphone and android, but surprise its on BB too

[Dunt Dunt Dunt]

You also have to consider that the Blackberry form factor is unideal for the bulk of Android and iOS apps. You have non-touchscreen Curves, low resolution across the board, unconventional display dimensions , weak CPU/GPU, etc.

App developers are not eager to put extra effort for a huge GUI facelift for a third place OS. They're also not encouraged by a form factor that offers a horrible user experience. I don't think it's difficult to see why magazines/newspapers would look a lot better on full touchscreen devices than a Blackberry.

(Hopefully, BB10 fixes these issues.)

It will.... and it won't.

RIM will have a modern OS with state of the art hardware (or at least competitive hardware). But at release they won't even be a 3rd place OS in marketshare. Sure they are going after Developers so they will have apps for their new platform. But are these developers going to build apps for my Bank? Will they build a Skype app? What about my Cable Provider? Even if BB10 does great and sell 25M devices next year... it will still be too small for these guys to consider, unless RIM gets involved and offers to build the apps for them or gives them some incentive to do it.

[PedroBorgas]

Again... An app(regarding a summer festival here in Portugal) available for Android and Iphone...

Even the ad had an Iphone...

It's a cool and useful app to who is attending at the festival..

Ah, and on top of it, the festival organizer, a phone carrier, is offering BB's 8520 at random people...

Yeah, the irony...

Sent from a old but beautiful BB 8520 or a new and shinny PB 2.0

[eve6er69]

Agreeing with all the top reasons why they're not making apps for blackberry I think another major one is difficulty.

Hopefully with the new bb10 app development tools and all the good news we hear about the ease of making new apps will soon change that.



Sent from my Bold using Tapatalk

[Spencerdl]

I've come to the conclusion and/or acceptance that BlackBerry devices are no longer the "top smartphone " nor in second maybe not even third. So from a business sense, as a developer why would I waste time making an app for a platform that most consumers are leaving. My time and efforts would be better spent making apps for the top two platforms because that's where the money is. Sure, as a BlackBerry user I wish this wasn't true, but it is what it is and even with BB10 release a couple months away, it's going to take some time to turn this around. I blame RIM for sitting on their a and being complacent for to long. I just hope it's not to late for RIM to make a comeback

[rifka_f]

I'm trying out an old iPhone 4 now (my husband's). I don't like the fact that I have to switch back to the home screen all the time, that it's clumsy to hold and that the seamlessness of moving from one application to another doesn't exist on iOS. Its internet browser is so much better though, and, should I choose, II could use those apps that aren't available for BB OS. I am awaiting the appearance of BB10, and then I'll make a decision. But the lack of an 'ecosystem' for BB has really hampered its growth, and now Android and iOS seem to be the industry standard. BB has been left behind. I don't know if it will catch up. The lack of apps provided by mainstream companies (Starbucks, Vogue, Honda, libraries)is a major hurdle. No apps? Why buy? And even if BB10 is awesome, as it probably will be, these companies will not cater to the BB OS. Why would they? It would be a minority operating system. Unless something changes drastically. But should I take that chance? If I do, I could be stuck with an OS that is obsolete in a year.

[knowledge_6]

but what i am hoping that Developers would see is that there is just too much competition in the Android and iOS world... yes there are some nice apps but why would i pay for an app when i can download the APK directly? or jailbreak and get it for free? or probably find another app that does the same thing for free or cheaper?

but again this doesn't address the free apps give out by companies for their products like banks etc.. but i'm glad all the major banks in Canada have Blackberry apps with the same features.. even the radio stations have apps for all 3 platforms... i.e. 680 news.. i am hoping that the easy porting of android apps to BB10 will drive a bigger app market..

I Believe ; >

[12Danny123]

Same there for WP. Look up Viber for WP, you won't see any thing

dude Viber is in the Windows phone Store

[GingerSnapsBack]

One word: Marketshare. Android and iOS combined simply rule the smartphone market. Even RIM and Windows Phone combined couldn't compete - at least in North America and Europe. So I simply guess why some companies should bother with minor plattforms.

Actually it is an unfortunate circle:
People only see "Android, iPhone" here and there, thus buying those phones. The lack of apps results in a lack of users which again leads to a lack of applications.

But without the user base, there is no reason to build an app. It's a two way street. Developers like Skype and Netflix don't want to develop for such a small user base and people like me have left BB as a main phone because of the lack of apps. Two of three coding apps I use at work are iOS and Android only - no BB.

RIM has 78 million users worldwide, that is nothing to sneeze at. I am not sure if RIM or the app developers are to blame or both, but when you have numbers like that, you should get all the apps too.

Of those 78 million, how many are in the US or Canada? Someone in China or Africa wouldn't be able to find much use for a Bank of America app or an app for an American only service like Netflix.

Yeah 78 million is nothing to sneeze at, but that's world wide. How many actually are in the USA?

[southlander]

Developers like Skype and Netflix don't want to develop for such a small user base and people like me have left BB as a main phone because of the lack of apps.

Except netflix just pumped out a brand new tivo app. And tivo has (estimated) a max of 1.5 million total users, some of which have pre series 3 boxes that cannot run netflx. These app makers have agendas that are based on things besides raw numbers as many repeat over and over. And agendas are fine. Its a free country. But it is not simply numbers.

Sent from my BlackBerry 9850 using Tapatalk

[kbz1960]

No developer here and no clue how good webworks apps are but aren't they suppose to work on both the phones and the playbook?