[EarlofEltham]

Do you even know WHY Whatsapp has had that huge success? It was the first messenger that allowed you to start using it out of the box without manually adding people, because it automatically determines your whatsapp contacts based on the numbers in your phone book and the ones that use Whatsapp too. BBM clearly can't do that, can it?

Actually, BBM on BB10 is able to suggest contacts that have a BBM account based on email address.

[Eric Ton]

Uhm no, I won't ignore you here. If I remember correctly, we talk messaging apps/services here. And if I also remember correctly, I talked about iMessage, not Apple, bringing Apples market share only to the the table since iMessage (as the core of my evaluation) is iOS to iOS only. I do know Apples and Googles profitability as well as those of Android OEMs, but that hasn't anything to do with iMessage being a threat to BBM or any other messaging service. Apple can be the most profitable company of all time, that won't help them making iMessage the messaging service to use if it's iOS exclusive only and iOS has a market share of 5-13%. iMessage, at this stage, is totally useless from a business standpoint and isn't worth naming in this discussion, 250M users or not. Why? To put it simply: if consumer X wants a bigger screen, iMessage silently looses a customer and that customer won't care a bit about ditching it.

Posted via CB10

yes i do know i went off topic there, but every time i see people mention apple's declining marketshare i feel like they don't know the true effect of marketshare, anyway sorry for the off topic

[HardTalk]

Third, you mention BBM for a company to use. No. Not any company that is security focused anyways.

This is true. I've worked for two of the largest financial services companies in the world. BBM is disabled when you get a blackberry. And you don't want a blackberry when they give you one, FYI. Not sure if anyone here gets me, lol.. I'm just a disgruntled cog in the machine.

Before half of you attack me, let me clarify. You don't want it because you don't want your work email with you ALL the time. Slaveryyyy!

[HardTalk]

Also, an on topic question. Whatever happened to the rumor that cross platform BBM will only be for cross-platform devices, and that blackberry users will stay within the realm of their own bbm - supported by the "they'll stop making devices so it makes sense" theory.

[anon6040766]

There are a lot of promises there for an app that hasn't even been launched yet and will pretty much just have texting. Plus, you are promising functionality that already exists via some very popular apps. Users don't usually flock to apps that offer what they are already doing.

iMesssage will always be preferred for iPhone users simply because it is the default selection that pops up when you want to send a photo, link, video, or contact to someone.

Yeah, it'll be preferred when sending to another iPhone, but if you're sending to a 3 people and one is BlackBerry, one is Android, and the other is Windows. Try using iMessage there...BBM equals "cross-platform", that's the idea.

Verizon Q10...posted from Philadelphia

[scribacco]

So with BBM X coming possibly this week there is a lot of discussion about whether people will download the app, and whether people care about BBM anymore and all this good stuff...well I don't know if I am the only one to feel this way, so I will state it and please sound off and let me know what you all think.

I have read this from iPhone users..."why would I want to download BBM? BlackBerry is dying, its not good!" and "I have iMessage, I don't need BBM, iMessage is the same thing"

Well I see these comments and first of all, BBM is a service, and arguably the best messaging platform around. With cross platform BBM, and once all features are updated (video and voice) BBM will be much better than any other messaging client around. I believe down the road, BBM will overtake Skype for office conference technology. Companies will use BBM to chat among co-workers, and hold video conferences using BBM Video. Anyways I digress...BBM, people say they wont download because the perception of BlackBerry isn't good. This shouldn't be a deciding factor as BBM has many great features and offers better communication over Whatapp and iMessage!

Now the iMessage situation. I do NOT believe iMessage can ever be compared to BBM. iMessage is integrated into the messaging app on iPhones. BBM is an individual app where you have to add contacts and accept contacts (similar to FaceBook). iMessage is just iPhone to iPhone messaging, identical to SMS but with Blue Bubbles and the choice to have read and received there too...Oh and it also shows when someone is typing. I don't know if I am portraying what I am thinking accurately, but basically its all in the Messaging app, people on iPhones would not think any different if it was just texting to other iPhones...they just brand it with iMessage and change the colours and add little things to make it seem better.

For any iPhone users reading this...BBM offers status updates, ability to change profile pics, change profile status' to "available", "busy" etc. Allows you to create groups, within the groups you can chat, share pictures (comment, and like photos), create group lists (family = grocery shopping list), and create events to share with all group members. Also the ability to share music updates (what song your listening too). This is just the beginning of what BBM can do, and on BB10 there are many additional features, many of which will be added to iOS and Android, but as you can see BBM is much more detailed and personal than iMessage which is identical to just texting people, no fun in that people!

Imessage is end to end encrypted and BBM is not..and not many people will download it

[HardTalk]

like any kind of "encryption" matters anyway lol.

[21stNow]

Just texting? lol did you not see all the additional features BBM has...and thats what it will have at LAUNCH...more and more will be added, where iMessage is stuck with just standard SMS-like features and look.

I will ask you a question...if you are watching a movie on VHS and at your home you have all your favourite movies on VHS and you think its perfect because it works for you, and you already have the movie you want...but then you come across Blu-Ray and find out all your favourite movies are on Blu-Ray which offer the same base feature (you get to watch your favourite movies) but it also allows you to see it in Hi-Definition, and offers special features, and just makes the viewing experience 100 times better...would you still stick with your VHS or migrate to Blu-Ray?

This analogy doesn't work because my decision to change the media type that I use to view movies is a decision that I can make alone. Using BBM requires that I know enough people who also use BBM to make it worthwhile. There in lies the problem. An iMessage user does the same action to send a regular SMS message or an iMessage. If that same user has to ask around and find people who already have BBM to make messaging using the separate BBM app worthwhile, and gets several "no" answers from friends and family, this user will not change to BBM.

[scribacco]

You do realize that these numbers can not be compared. 250M iMessage users is nothing...thats the same as saying there are 250M people with iPhones, or Macs...its pre-installed and instantly set-up...so anyone who purchases an iPhone will automatically be included in those numbers...many general users on iPhones might not even know they are using something called "iMessage" They might just be wondering why some messages are green bubbles, and others are blue...

BBM is an actual application where people choose to install and add friends and create a personal touch to their BBM list...rejecting people you don't want, and adding those you want...unlike iMessage that just adds anyone and everyone you have in your contact list with an Apple ID...Thus those numbers can not be considered accurate...according to those numbers Android destroys iMessage with 900 Million users...

Google: Android activations to total 900 million this year | Internet & Media - CNET News

It is not a fair comparison...just as its not fair to compare the total number of android users to BBM users, and iMessage users to BBM users. Just like FaceBook, BBM is a CHOICE that a user has to download and use, iMessage is on and registered for every iPhone device activated.

you realize that is not only iphone ..imessage workd with ipad, ipod, and macs

[scribacco]

Finally, of course BBM and those features can be used in organizations with BES of course for security. I wasn't stating to have companies using personal BBM chats...like I said its work-related. Will be under BES10, but will allow for BBM Chats, Video and Voice calling as well, which can replace current solutions.

sorry pal but BBM is not end to end encrypted the Imessage is so stop with this BB is more secure than other phones because it is pure fantasy

[--TommesJay--]

Imessage is end to end encrypted and BBM is not..and not many people will download it

And that's why people ditch BlackBerrys and use iPhones and that's also why people won't download BBM, right? RIGHT?

Isn't it enough for you to troll under BlackBerry related articles on The Verge where you find more people agreeing with you? Isn't that even more fun? Ah I see...too few BBRY articles over there, so to reach your daily troll traffic you have to come here, right? RIGHT?

Posted via CB10

[--TommesJay--]

you realize that is not only iphone ..imessage workd with ipad, ipod, and macs

You do realize that your crappy iMessage doesn't play any role as long as it's iOS exclusive?

Posted via CB10

[mphillips828]

This analogy doesn't work because my decision to change the media type that I use to view movies is a decision that I can make alone. Using BBM requires that I know enough people who also use BBM to make it worthwhile. There in lies the problem. An iMessage user does the same action to send a regular SMS message or an iMessage. If that same user has to ask around and find people who already have BBM to make messaging using the separate BBM app worthwhile, and gets several "no" answers from friends and family, this user will not change to BBM.

The same thing can be done on BBM...it suggests users based on your contact list and you can send an invite to anyone on that list. Thus giving you the choice to add everyone on your contact list, or add the ones you really care to talk to. So it actually gives you more options, and options are good right??

[mphillips828]

you realize that is not only iphone ..imessage workd with ipad, ipod, and macs

Yes, I do realize that it works with all those devices. The numbers don't change...since they said 250 Million iMessage users...

iMessage users include anyone using iPhone, iPad, iPod and mac...that is the total number...900 Million is the amount of people getting an Android device THIS YEAR...that doesn't include Android Tablets...so the number is even larger.

Again, that number doesn't mean anything and doesn't relate to the topic of this thread. The topic that people who say iMessage is just as good or better is not accurate as its nothing compared to BBM in terms of a full-fledged messaging application.

[canuckvoip]

yeah i heard about that, but 100,000, to me, is not impressive relative to how big BB users base and some ex bb users there are right now

The fake app was taken down in 24 hours (or whatever it was). C'mon... let's say it was 48 hours. 100,000 in that time frame IS INDEED IMPRESSIVE!!!

[nnik]

There are a lot of promises there for an app that hasn't even been launched yet and will pretty much just have texting. Plus, you are promising functionality that already exists via some very popular apps. Users don't usually flock to apps that offer what they are already doing.

iMesssage will always be preferred for iPhone users simply because it is the default selection that pops up when you want to send a photo, link, video, or contact to someone.

I used imessage today for the first time, it said sending for a long time then failed, tried again in another area, again said sending for quite a while before it actually sent....much the same as sending a normal text with whatever attachments. BBM has always been instantaneous for me and I can't remember the last time it failed to send

Posted via CB10

[potatoguy]

yeah i heard about that, but 100,000, to me, is not impressive relative to how big BB users base and some ex bb users there are right now

how many should downloaded it in a weekend then??

[donnation]

What you are missing and may have been covered here is that iMessage syncs and works with all Apple products. So all your messages can be received and replied to from your computer, iPad, Mac.

[axeman1000]

sigh..more misinformation
iMessage IS encrypted

Sure...... just like no one was spying on users, ever heard of the nsa? Everyone was fooled by that too. Believe what you like.

Posted via CB10

[o4liberty]

I can't wait for BBM to come to apple I have a ipad mini 4G on Verizon and there is no form of cross platform texting at the present. Most of the people I know have a smartphone so it will work out well for me.

[jtfolden]

I used imessage today for the first time, it said sending for a long time then failed, tried again in another area, again said sending for quite a while before it actually sent....much the same as sending a normal text with whatever attachments. BBM has always been instantaneous for me and I can't remember the last time it failed to send

I use iMessage constantly and it has only very rarely had issues of the type you describe. It's just as stable as any other consumer offering in this category.

[nnik]

What you are missing and may have been covered here is that iMessage syncs and works with all Apple products. So all your messages can be received and replied to from your computer, iPad, Mac.

I suppose that is an advantage if you need that....and have lots of Apples

Posted via CB10

[jtfolden]

Yeah, it'll be preferred when sending to another iPhone, but if you're sending to a 3 people and one is BlackBerry, one is Android, and the other is Windows. Try using iMessage there...BBM equals "cross-platform", that's the idea.

That's a completely broken idea then.

iMessage works across platforms because if someone doesn't have an Apple device, it will just drop down to SMS and send that way... So it will get the message to whoever I am sending one to regardless of what device are using. The reverse is also true - they don't have to be running iMessage to get a text to me.

BBM won't do this... and it would also require me to ask ALL the people I message if they have downloaded BBM. What am I supposed to do - request they download proprietary software that is only useful for chatting with me alone??? No i don't think so...

[mphillips828]

What you are missing and may have been covered here is that iMessage syncs and works with all Apple products. So all your messages can be received and replied to from your computer, iPad, Mac.

That has actually been mentioned already, and is a cool feature for iMessage...but BBM will be syncing across smartphones...and I am sure people use iMessage on iPad and Mac...I have a Mac and I NEVER ever use iMessage even though I have so many friends that have iPhones. People just don't care to message like that from a tablet or computer when it's on your phone.

Don't get me wrong or take what I said the wrong way because I am sure there are TONS of people who use iMessage via iPad and Mac, but lets be honest here...the mass majority of people actually messaging via iMessage will use it on their iPhone. I know many people with an iPhone, an iPad and a Mac, and when they are on their computers doing work and an iMessage comes in, they will instantly and without thought go to their iPhone...not their iMessage app on their computer. I think this is common between many people.

So as multiple devices are a great feature and looks great on paper...its not as widely used.

[jtfolden]

I suppose that is an advantage if you need that....and have lots of Apples

It doesn't take "lots", it just takes two. I have an iPhone and a Mac... I can receive/answer texts from either device - even if someone is sending a text to my phone number rather than my Apple ID I still receive it on the Mac if I wish and can reply to it. It's a great feature as if I'm working at the computer I don't need to take my focus away and it's much nicer typing with a full size keyboard.