[playbookster]

Not sure if this has been mentioned but I guess it is good to (re)affirm:

There is a way to sign into Google Services.

Posted via CB10

How?

[playbookster]

Downloading apk then installing it is simple enough .. Some people will definitely complain that you have to find the file and install it as suppose to one click download+install in the app world .... I guess no one uses a computer anymore ...
I still wanna complain to some of the "name apps" out there. Why haven't they build native app for bb10 yet or at least start working on it ...

Not enough reward for the risk. BB10 community is too small to warrant the development time and money.

[BlackBerry Guy]

It's not the ideal solution to the app gap, but 10.2.1 gives an owner the ability to finally get the apps they want on their device should they be so inclined to take the effort to do so. This will probably be enough to keep some existing users happy, but it's not something you can advertise as a way to potentially gain new users and increase sales. So we can now say "BlackBerry has apps", but the problem is you have to put an asterix next to that and explain exactly what that means. Consumers expect to have the first party run app catalog to download and buy from. They're paying top dollar for their devices, they want things to be easier for them, not more complicated. Throw in the fact that Android apps are not optimized for BB10 - sometimes you can't sign in to things, or the share buttons don't work 100% etc. What kind of experience would that be for an end user?

If BlackBerry is going to go this route to use Android to supplement the native app catalog, then they're going to have to take control of it and run their own Android based store. None of this "well you can go here and get that" or "just follow these 10 simple steps to get these apps on your phone". They need to provide the solution, not just give people the tools to come up with their own solutions.

[Thunderbuck]

Downloading apk then installing it is simple enough .. Some people will definitely complain that you have to find the file and install it as suppose to one click download+install in the app world .... I guess no one uses a computer anymore ...
I still wanna complain to some of the "name apps" out there. Why haven't they build native app for bb10 yet or at least start working on it ...

If you use one of the 3rd party app stores it isn't even that complicated.

I just went to 1mobile.com on my Z30 browser, picked a free app (Candy Crush, as it happens), and when I went to download it the site automatically sent its own store APK first. It installed first and Candy Crush followed. Easy, slick, and quick.

Posted from CB10 running on my awesome Z30

[haralampinedelin]

You need to tinker with your device. Not massively tinker with it. Point taken, most people aren't interested in taking an extra step. But let's be honest. Anyone who roots their Android phone has to go through more steps than this. Same for jailbreaking iOS.

But the thing is, Android and Apple are not relying on people who root and jailbreak their devices to generate their revenues, even if there is a substantial number who do it. Therefore, installing leaked OS as a condition for success is just not going to bring the masses to blackberry.

[stackberry369]

But the thing is, Android and Apple are not relying on people who root and jailbreak their devices to generate their revenues, even if there is a substantial number who do it. Therefore, installing leaked OS as a condition for success is just not going to bring the masses to blackberry.

I think you meant won't bring the masses back to blackberry.

Sent from my SM-N900P using CB Forums mobile app

[bobauckland]

If you use one of the 3rd party app stores it isn't even that complicated.

I just went to 1mobile.com on my Z30 browser, picked a free app (Candy Crush, as it happens), and when I went to download it the site automatically sent its own store APK first. It installed first and Candy Crush followed. Easy, slick, and quick.

Posted from CB10 running on my awesome Z30

You're completely missing the point. You're trying to show the amazon app store is legit. Course it is.
Now write to them and ask them if they support their store being sideloaded on bb10 and will support any problems that comes for that.
The app store itself is not supported on bb10. You will not get any support or troubleshooting cos you're running the app store and any paid apps you buy on a device that was not meant to be running it.

As said before, you're paying to pirate apps, which is a stunningly silly idea.

Posted via CB10

[haralampinedelin]

This is the same story over and over again. First, all the problems of the Playbook were solved with the android runtime and the ability to sideload apps. Playbook cost blackberry 1 billion dollars and was generally a disaster. Then BB10 10.0 had the android runtime, so theoretically people could get the apps they wanted. But performance was sketchy, so 10.1 supposedly fixed that. All the apps that didn't work were supposed to work with 10.2 with android 4.2 runtime, but a lot of them still didn't. Then it turned out people should get dev keys and sign their BAR files before sideloading them, which was the greatest discovery since the wheel, and would finally close the App gap. Then with BBM the theory on these here forums was that people on android and iOS will realize the brilliance of blackberry and buy a device... "No better advertising" or something in that spirit if memory serves. Now the ability to install APKs directly from the phone is just the latest fad, which is only relevant to people who are already using BB10, and sure it is a great thing for them, because there were many who couldn't get the hang of signing their apps. And that's not even all the BB10 users, since not all of them read crackberry. But this is completely lost on the general public, and the general public generally doesn't care about tinkering too much.

And to answer the OPs question, the devices are really expensive, or they were when they launched. Z10 is now cheap, but it was pretty expensive when it launched. Even the Q5 is expensive for what it offers. There is also no marketing, no incentive for legacy users to move to BB10, and no reason for android and iOS users to migrate. The sales numbers and market share show this very clearly. The chances that Z30 will change that are very slim. I have the feeling that for every user who decides to switch to BB10, there is at least one user who tries it but then sells it on ebay and gets another phone, maybe even a nokia WP8. I would be glad to be proven wrong and to see some amazong sales and increase in market share in Q4 or Q1 2014, but this is highly unlikely at this point, and this new "feature" nice as it is, is simply not enough.

[bhrgvr]

well yeah, but you know its coming.

Well yeah... we know it's coming... but what about others? Will they ever know... )

Posted via CB10

[haralampinedelin]

I think you meant won't bring the masses back to blackberry.

Sent from my SM-N900P using CB Forums mobile app

No, I didn't mean that, your presumption was wrong. How many users did blackberry have in its heyday? What is the number of users today? What would be their marketshare if suddenly all of the old users switched back? With android having something like double the userbase every year, it won't be a lot i bet.

[Thunderbuck]

You're completely missing the point. You're trying to show the amazon app store is legit. Course it is.
Now write to them and ask them if they support their store being sideloaded on bb10 and will support any problems that comes for that.
The app store itself is not supported on bb10. You will not get any support or troubleshooting cos you're running the app store and any paid apps you buy on a device that was not meant to be running it.

As said before, you're paying to pirate apps, which is a stunningly silly idea.

Posted via CB10

No, YOU'RE missing the point. You're not "sideloading" Amazon's store. You're using it exactly the same way any other Android user does. You install it on your device and use it to get more apps.

BTW, another misunderstanding here: people seem to think this is the Kindle Fire store. It isn't. It's just a 3rd party app store that any Android user can legitimately use.

Posted from CB10 running on my awesome Z30

[bobauckland]

No, YOU'RE missing the point. You're not "sideloading" Amazon's store. You're using it exactly the same way any other Android user does. You install it on your device and use it to get more apps.

BTW, another misunderstanding here: people seem to think this is the Kindle Fire store. It isn't. It's just a 3rd party app store that any Android user can legitimately use.

Posted from CB10 running on my awesome Z30

Contact them, and ask whether they will provide support if there's any problems.
99% certain they won't. We are not android users. We do not have android devices.

If they say they will provide support, refunds etc if there's any problems, I'll happily accept I'm wrong and agree, this is a game changer.
If they say absolutely not, then hopefully you will stop saying this is all legit and a game changer.

Posted via CB10

[Thunderbuck]

Contact them, and ask whether they will provide support if there's any problems.
99% certain they won't. We are not android users. We do not have android devices.

If they say they will provide support, refunds etc if there's any problems, I'll happily accept I'm wrong and agree, this is a game changer.
If they say absolutely not, then hopefully you will stop saying this is all legit and a game changer.

Posted via CB10

I think you misunderstand the role of these 3rd party stores. You may not realize, but there are millions of cheap Android devices out there that are legit, but aren't certified for Google Services and so they're locked out of Google Play. The users of these devices are the intended customers for these 3rd party stores.

The stores couldn't care less what device you're on, as long as it's Android.

Posted from CB10 running on my awesome Z30

[bobauckland]

I think you misunderstand the role of these 3rd party stores. You may not realize, but there are millions of cheap Android devices out there that are legit, but aren't certified for Google Services and so they're locked out of Google Play. The users of these devices are the intended customers for these 3rd party stores.

The stores couldn't care less what device you're on, as long as it's Android.

Posted from CB10 running on my awesome Z30

Look, instead of constantly talking about how everyone else misunderstands you, why don't you contact amazon and ask about support for their app store on bb10 via sideloaded app store app.
We are not running android devices.

I will take you at your word, if they say they will provide support as they would on android devices, fine, I'm wrong. I'll be happy to be wrong.

But I very very very much doubt it, and if they won't, you're spreading massive misinformation here. We do not have legit android devices.

Posted via CB10

[bobauckland]

Why do you think Alec Saunders and everyone from BlackBerry isn't encouraging this? It's not legit.

Posted via CB10

[MarsupilamiX]

I think you misunderstand the role of these 3rd party stores. You may not realize, but there are millions of cheap Android devices out there that are legit, but aren't certified for Google Services and so they're locked out of Google Play. The users of these devices are the intended customers for these 3rd party stores.

The stores couldn't care less what device you're on, as long as it's Android.

Posted from CB10 running on my awesome Z30

As Bobauckland said, we aren't running Android though.
And no matter how much you would like it not to be, this is still an unsupported and unofficial way to get your apps.

I am 100% on Bobauckland's side here.
Please contact Amazon and ask them what they'll say.
If they are friendly Amazon will only tell you that what you are doing is not supported and that if problems arise, this is your problem.
If they are unfriendly, they'll ask you immediately to stop this behaviour.

Posted via CB10

[the resurrection 2]

How do I get timely app updates when a security flaw is found?

A security flaw? With Android apps? Perish the thought!

[Thunderbuck]

As Bobauckland said, we aren't running Android though.
And no matter how much you would like it not to be, this is still an unsupported and unofficial way to get your apps.

I am 100% on Bobauckland's side here.
Please contact Amazon and ask them what they'll say.
If they are friendly Amazon will only tell you that what you are doing is not supported and that if problems arise, this is your problem.
If they are unfriendly, they'll ask you immediately to stop this behaviour.

Posted via CB10

I'm not sure what kind of "support" you're looking for here. And at this point, being able to install and run APKs effectively DOES make my Z30 an Android device, just as much as running Parallels on a Mac makes it a Windows device.

It's functionally equivalent, and it's COMPLETELY legitimate.

Posted from CB10 running on my awesome Z30

[Acvdm]

Price.

Posted via CB10

[bobauckland]

I'm not sure what kind of "support" you're looking for here. And at this point, being able to install and run APKs effectively DOES make my Z30 an Android device, just as much as running Parallels on a Mac makes it a Windows device.

It's functionally equivalent, and it's COMPLETELY legitimate.

Posted from CB10 running on my awesome Z30

So instead of engaging in actual dialogue, or simply writing to the app store owners and asking as I suggested, you're going to stick your head in the sand and ignore what everyone else says, cos you know best.

Then I won't sugarcoat it here, you are completely 100% mistaken, misinformed, and spreading misinformation.
Your z30 is an android device? You're so far wrong it's actually laughable here.

Posted via CB10

[bobauckland]

And it's also completely 100% not legitimate, which is why BlackBerry and Alec Saunders won't endorse the idea. If they could, they'd be pushing this as a huge deal. They can't, so they won't.

Posted via CB10

[stevenjamesclark]

Why do so many BlackBerry haters read & post on Crackberry? I hate i phone but I don't go on their forums to tell them.

Posted via CB10

[bobauckland]

Why do so many BlackBerry haters read & post on Crackberry? I hate i phone but I don't go on their forums to tell them.

Posted via CB10

Everyone on this page has posted from a bb10 device.
There's a difference between being a hater and being based in reality.

Posted via CB10

[MarsupilamiX]

I'm not sure what kind of "support" you're looking for here. And at this point, being able to install and run APKs effectively DOES make my Z30 an Android device, just as much as running Parallels on a Mac makes it a Windows device.

It's functionally equivalent, and it's COMPLETELY legitimate.

Posted from CB10 running on my awesome Z30

No, it's not legitimate AT ALL.
Where do you get that from?

If the Amazon App Store would come officially preloaded, with official support channels and BlackBerry saying that you can officially use the Amazon store to get apps, while knowing that Amazon has an official deal with Android devs, then we have a legitimate solution.
If this isn't the case, the only thing we have is sideloading 2.0.

The current solutions of loading apk's isn't comparable with Parallels for Mac as well.
To use it, you still have to buy a Windows distribution and install it.
As far as my knowledge goes, we don't have the full Android OS on BB10.
And I disagree that running things in a VM does change "the nature" of your device.
When I use Parallels, then I do it under MacOS, and the VM needs MacOS.
But because I bought a Windows licence anyway, I could also just dual-boot and not care about the performance loss of the VM.

Posted via CB10

[karaya1]

App gap is there until they are in the app store so Mr non-techie Joe can get all the big names immediately and painlessly.

Posted via CB10