[GenghisKahn2011]

Reading through the forum threads, I get the impression that life would be perfect if there would be a native BB10 SnapChat app.

Is there a BB10 developer willing to provide this service to SnapChat (for a reasonable royalty)?

Or is SnapChat's BlackBerry blockade a political move? This question applies to the growing Blackberry blockade on the Amazon App store as well.

Posted via CB10

[Troy Tiscareno]

We've discussed this many times. Snapchat has to secure their platform, and third party apps have always been in violation of their TOS. Recent leaks of captured Snaps forced them to take action.

Separately, they determined that neither BB10 or WinPhone userbases were big enough to develop for. This decision was made more than a year ago. Nothing has changed.

Apps don't just cost to develop, but also to support, and Snapchat doesn't believe the numbers add up to make supporting those platforms profitable.

The thing they fear from developing for BB (or WinPhone, Tiger, Sailfish, etc.) Is lost revenues and lost opportunity costs. Having someone develop the app won't change that, and they don't intend to let outside developers have access to their secured service.

Posted via the Android CrackBerry App!

[tfp]

Apps don't just cost to develop, but also to support, and Snapchat doesn't believe the numbers add up to make supporting those platforms profitable.

This more than anything else is what people fail to understand.

[GenghisKahn2011]

The thing they fear from developing for BB (or WinPhone, Tiger, Sailfish, etc.) Is lost revenues and lost opportunity costs. Having someone develop the app won't change that, and they don't intend to let outside developers have access to their secured service.

Posted via the Android CrackBerry App![/QUOTE]

Is not the problem that their platform is insecure and they do not know how to fix it? It seems to me cultivating a relationship with BlackBerry would be win-win. Thus the question remains, "what do they have to fear from BlackBerry. "



Posted via CB10

[Soulstream]

Is not the problem that their platform is insecure and they do not know how to fix it? It seems to me cultivating a relationship with BlackBerry would be win-win. Thus the question remains, "what do they have to fear from BlackBerry. "

Posted via CB10

BB isn't the only security provider out there, especially at a software level. Also you would think that developing for WP8 first would be a smarter move, but from rumors the Snapchat CEO has something against Microsoft (don't know exactly what).

[Troy Tiscareno]

/QUOTE]The thing they fear from developing for BB (or WinPhone, Tiger, Sailfish, etc.) Is lost revenues and lost opportunity costs. Having someone develop the app won't change that, and they don't intend to let outside developers have access to their secured service.

Posted via the Android CrackBerry App!

Is not the problem that their platform is insecure and they do not know how to fix it? It seems to me cultivating a relationship with BlackBerry would be win-win. Thus the question remains, "what do they have to fear from BlackBerry."[/QUOTE]

They know perfectly well how to secure their app - the reason people are complaining is because they did secure their app, and now BB, FirePhone, WinPhone, and others have no access to it via security holes. They clearly didn't need BB's help doing this.

Clearly, they don't fear anything from BB except for wasted time and money.

Do you understand what "opportunity cost" is? It's when you can do two different things, but one will make you a lot more money than the other. If you choose to do the thing that makes less money, then you have incurred an opportunity cost.

Let's say that SnapChat would need to invest $10M to make an app for BB10. I'm not suggesting that this is the actual cost, but it doesn't really matter - let's just use $10M for grins. Now, SnapChat could either make the BB10 app, or they could spend $5M apiece to improve their iOS and Android apps. Let's say the BB app would make SnapChat $2M/quarter, but the improvements to the iOS and Android apps would result in those apps increasing revenues by $20M/quarter. That means that developing for BB10 would actually cost SnapChat $18M in opportunity costs - the money they could have made by investing their development time and money elsewhere.

These are the decisions that businesses have to make when deciding which platforms to support. It's exactly the same reasoning many other big-name apps have made.

Remember that BB10's entire userbase is only around 10M active devices - that's fewer devices than the number of Google-certified Android devices that are activated every week - and that figure doesn't include non-OHA devices that use Android, such as phones for the Chinese and NK markets, FireOS, and others. Nor does it count iOS, who averages around 1.2M phones per week. BB10's userbase is so small that the loss of that userbase is insignificant to app developers - they simply don't see BB on their radar at all. It isn't fear - it's complete disinterest.

[lnichols]

Could it be that BlackBerry is a somewhat of competitor in the space now with BBM? Timed messages/picture sharing? BlackBerry has said it wants to make BBM a social network. Why develop for it when they go have a competing product and small BB10 footprint?

BlackBerry needs to take BBM back down to being a messenger, and stop thinking they have the next Twitter or SnapChat because they don't and it will never be successful with BlackBerry botching the software every update.

Posted via CB10 on Z30

[GenghisKahn2011]

I appreciate and value the insights shared. But, I marvel how easily 10 million BlackBerry users are so easily dismissed. I must admit I am tired of the whining and demanding throughout multiple threads about the demise of SnapChat on the BlackBerry platform. Yet, there is validity to the clamoring.

Given the generation I represent, I will offer this: SnapChat is generating incredible ill will and begging to become irrelevent. The arguments about opportunity costs forcing their hand is bogus in the grand scheme of total customer service. Intelligent modern coding is based on reusable modules easily adapted into platform API's.

The platforms blown off by SnapChat do add to several tens of millions of potential customers. And clearly from the CB forums alone, a great deal of consternation. This will be remembered when a viable competitor to SnapChat surfaces on a cross-platform foundation.

In the meantime, for those who cannot live without SnapChat, just remember how much it is costing you when you acquire a new iOS or Android phone to feed your need. I can only conclude that SnapChat is some type of god-like application. For me there are more important things in life demanding attention.


Posted via CB10 using BlackBerry OS 10.3.2.500 on Q10

[ljfong]

I appreciate and value the insights shared. But, I marvel how easily 10 million BlackBerry users are so easily dismissed. I must admit I am tired of the whining and demanding throughout multiple threads about the demise of SnapChat on the BlackBerry platform. Yet, there is validity to the clamoring.

Given the generation I represent, I will offer this: SnapChat is generating incredible ill will and begging to become irrelevent. The arguments about opportunity costs forcing their hand is bogus in the grand scheme of total customer service. Intelligent modern coding is based on reusable modules easily adapted into platform API's.

The platforms blown off by SnapChat do add to several tens of millions of potential customers. And clearly from the CB forums alone, a great deal of consternation. This will be remembered when a viable competitor to SnapChat surfaces on a cross-platform foundation.

In the meantime, for those who cannot live without SnapChat, just remember how much it is costing you when you acquire a new iOS or Android phone to feed your need. I can only conclude that SnapChat is some type of god-like application. For me there are more important things in life demanding attention.


Posted via CB10 using BlackBerry OS 10.3.2.500 on Q10

Yes it is that easy to ignore 10 million BB 10 users when you user base is in hundreds of millions. By covering iOS and Android they covered 95%+ of smartphones out on the market. Whether Windows 10 might change their mind, we will see. Troy explained better than I ever could.

If all my loved ones and people I deeply care about are using Snapchat as their preferred way of communication, I would be willing to pay premium on handset that can run Snapchat perfectly. If money is tight, I will buy refurbished handset with a few generation old hardware as long as I can use Snapchat. That is how important it is.

Posted via CB10

[kbz1960]

And of the small user base how many here spout off that we don't this sh1t? That helps a lot. Just shows them that even less of a very small base could care less to have and use it.

[lnichols]

You need to look at BlackBerry's history to understand why devs might not want to support BlackBerry. First it was the PlayBook and trying to get devs on that, but announcing the Android emulator before the platform was here and implying that it would play any Android app. Well BlackBerry didn't get that implemented till way after the PlayBook launched, and the emulator sucked. Not only that but they changed the native app development from the PlayBook to BB10. BB10 was late and the first versions of software and phones had issues and didn't sell well. BlackBerry really didn't get Bb10 to be a really good OS until 10.2.1 was out, and it wasn't available for a while due to carrier delays, and 10.3.1 isn't even available to all yet. Devs know that iOS updates will be global and Apple runs the show. They know that all iOS devices have the same aspect ratio, and most Android phones do to. Devs don't know when a BlackBerry update will officially make it out or ever with some carriers, and then there is the issue of two aspect ratios and three resolutions to support. BlackBerry has made a mess of things, but people here still put all the blame on the devs and don't get why they would want to avoid a wishy washy company that might end support for a feature (like Flash and Air) that impacts their apps. BlackBerry simply isn't a stable platform to develop for.

Posted via CB10 on Z30

[Anthony_2u]

Kmt this snapchat crap again when will people realise that they won't have it Kmt tired a it now man

Posted via CB10

[Troy Tiscareno]

I appreciate and value the insights shared. But, I marvel how easily 10 million BlackBerry users are so easily dismissed.

There are about 2 billion smartphones in current use around the world. 10M is a tiny, insignificant drop in that bucket. But what's even more important is that SnapChat doesn't believe that the BB10 userbase is likely to have any significant growth either, while both Android and iOS continue to grow like wildfire. With each passing day, BB10's userbase becomes more numerically insignificant, as it is a smaller and smaller percentage of the smartphone userbase as a whole. You know that's true - there are plenty of statistics available from several reliable sources - but you like to pretend that it doesn't matter. It does matter - in fact, for many software companies who have to decide whether or not to support a platform, it's all that matters.

[Bishkin]

Simply not worthwhile for snapchat to build a Blackberry version, what for?

[-Puck-]

They have to fear nobody wanting it.

Even if an official Snapchat app was released tomorrow for free, I would not download it and I am probably not alone in that sentiment. Not because I am against it or thing it is bad, but just because it is not the type of app that caters to the average BB user.

It is basically used by kids and teens, or by pervs looking to get nudes.

[Swave514]

It is basically used by kids and teens, or by pervs looking to get nudes.

Wow you're a dummy loool everyone in my class was using snapchat the other day (all over the age of 19) stop with these dumm comments do you know how many celebrities, musicians, use snapchat now?!

Z30 | 10.3.1.2708

[johnny_bravo72]

They have to fear nobody wanting it.

Even if an official Snapchat app was released tomorrow for free, I would not download it and I am probably not alone in that sentiment. Not because I am against it or thing it is bad, but just because it is not the type of app that caters to the average BB user.

It is basically used by kids and teens, or by pervs looking to get nudes.

Lol! Another arse-hurt fanboy comment. ;-)

"Better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it." -- so true for apps.

Posted from an ME173X

[bakron1]

Reading these post, I think Troy explained it the best. It's about market share, generating revenue and that's just the way it is at this moment in time.

When Blackberry was king back in the day, they could do no wrong and everyone jumped on board because they had the market share. People made a lot money back then including the founders and company execs.

But, the worm has turned and now they in the back seat of the bus and Android and Apple are now in the drivers seat. This is just basic business 101 folks, that's all.

I still say if Blackberry where to partner with Samsung and jointly developed a Android based product, it could be a good thing all around and we would not be having these issues about app support. Just my two cents worth.

[SunshineStateFlyer]

That's a very interesting discussion right here. Troy sums it up very well and he, most importantly, shows the economic view of the whole question. Running a business is about efficiency in the first place.
If we would carry out a stakeholder analysis, it would show that BlackBerry users have very little influence due to their number.
Even if the interest was high enough, that wouldn't make any collaboration necessary.

But what's actually interesting about this thread is that it shows how important apps really are. People depend on them and a majority is willing to switch platforms in order to get the apps they want. Too many BlackBerry users are stuck in the time when a phone was just a phone with some additional functionality.
Today, smartphones are pocket computers and they mainly serve as a platform to run apps. Many might say 'but I don't want to play games', 'it's not a toy', 'I just use it for business' etc., but that's not a valid point anymore. It's not only about games, it's about all those tools for daily lives that count in fitness, communication, lifestyle, travel and many more.
Then some simply say, if you need apps, you're on the wrong platform. If you say that you might as well admit that you're on a sinking ship because if only those people stay with BlackBerry that do not use apps or in a very limited way, I don't see this platform being around for too long anymore.
I personally don't have a solution for this but I think it would be a shame if BlackBerry would disappear.


Posted via CB10

[potatoguy]

Apps don't just cost to develop, but also to support, and Snapchat doesn't believe the numbers add up to make supporting those platforms profitable.

Posted via the Android CrackBerry App!

I can understand where certain apps aren't developed for the low number of BB phones out there, but what I don't understand is why some apps do make an effort to develop on BB when they can just say the same as other apps and say why bother.
If i'm not mistaken What's app is making an effort to keep BB up to date with its app. And others like them.

[Soulstream]

I can understand where certain apps aren't developed for the low number of BB phones out there, but what I don't understand is why some apps do make an effort to develop on BB when they can just say the same as other apps and say why bother.
If i'm not mistaken What's app is making an effort to keep BB up to date with its app. And others like them.

The problem is that Whatsapp is the exception, not the rule. Very few big-name apps are in BBW, and even few are native.

[SunshineStateFlyer]

The problem is that Whatsapp is the exception, not the rule. Very few big-name apps are in BBW, and even few are native.

And even those which are native are sometimes a lot worse than the Android versions. That's really frustrating about BlackBerry. I've downloaded the Delta app from BBW, was excited to see they've got a native app and it's unusable crap. Downloaded the Android version through Snap and it doesn't work properly due to the square screen. AA doesn't work because of Google Play services, I could continue but it's just sad.

If someone makes a BlackBerry app, no matter whether it is native or a port, you can expect it to be barely updated, with no love at all put into the app. There are few exceptions, like WhatsApp unfortunately.

Posted via CB10

[kbz1960]

They have to fear nobody wanting it.

Even if an official Snapchat app was released tomorrow for free, I would not download it and I am probably not alone in that sentiment. Not because I am against it or thing it is bad, but just because it is not the type of app that caters to the average BB user.

It is basically used by kids and teens, or by pervs looking to get nudes.

This is what I was talking about.

[sk8er_tor]

Something no one has mentioned is that SnapChat is in a position right now where their user base matters BIG TIME. So it's actually in their best interest to develop for as many platforms as possible just like WhatsApp did. When you have a start-up like SnapChat which is clearly looking to sell-out sometime in the future, they should be developing for all major platforms, including BB10 and WP.
As a BB10 customer, I couldn't care less for SnapChat and I wouldn't download it even if they offered a native app.

[vladi]

I believe they are compensated not to go anywhere else besides Android and iOS. I wont believe for a second that they are concerned about security.