Hasta La Gadget!

Earlier this year BlackBerry announced that it would finally be opening up BlackBerry Messenger, or BBM, to Android and iPhone. The launch finally took place last week, after the initial roll out encountered a number of issues. The BBM app instantly became popular, topping the charts on both Google Play Store and the App Store. BlackBerry has now revealed the official user stats, announcing that 20 million new BBM users have been added in the past week alone. The launch on Android and iOS brings the total number of BBM users to 80 million, 60 million of them being on BlackBerry devices.

The company reveals that BBM was the top free overall app in 35 countries on Google Play and 107 countries in the App Store. Markets where BBM continues to maintain a strong position include Canada, UK, the U.S., Middle East and Indonesia among others. The company also highlights its new sharing tool at www.bbm.com/share, which allows users to quickly add new contacts to BBM. There’s also a new way to share PIN with people you want to add on BBM through www.pin.bbm.com. BlackBerry says that it still has a “few more tricks” up its sleeve which will be shared in the coming months as the company adds even more features to BBM on Android and iPhone. Voice and video chats are just two of the features that have already been confirmed.

BBM On Android And iPhone Adds 20 Million Users In First Week original content from Ubergizmo.

This weekend BlackBerry Messenger for Android and iOS will be launched in the Google Play Store and App Store, respectively. This is the first time that the once iconic phone manufacturer’s exclusive instant messaging service is being opened up for other platforms, the platforms that have eroded its market share in less than a decade. Since this is a significant move for the company, people have been wondering how BBM will perform on these platforms, given the abundance of IM services such as WhatsApp, Viber and Line, which are quite popular. BlackBerry says that more than 2.5 million people have already pre-registered to download the app on their respective platforms.

The company says that over 60 million people around the world currently use BBM, this number solely comprises of users who have BlackBerry smartphones. BBM is actually considered to be one of the remaining strengths of the company, which is trying to find a buyer for itself. There have been rumors that perhaps BBM might even be spun off into a separate company. For now, BBM on Android and iOS will come with the core feature set, which includes instant messaging and groups. The company says that over time, it will add new features such as video and voice chat and BBM Channels. We’ve got to ask, are you willing to try out BBM on your iPhone or Android?

Over 2.5 Million People Pre-Registered For BBM On Android And iOS original content from Ubergizmo.

Earlier this year BlackBerry announced that it would finally bring its BlackBerry Messenger to both Android and iPhone. No release date was announced back then, there had been a lot of speculation about the release, which was initially promised for summer 2013. Moments ago BlackBerry officially announced the release dates, BBM for Android goes live on September 21st, for the iPhone on September 22nd.

BBM has always been exclusive to BlackBerry devices, but now it will be available as a free download from Google Play Store and the iOS App Store. Users will be able to chat with their friends who have BBM on their device, thus making this once BB only messaging service cross-platform. Users will be shown read reports and will also be able to see when the other person is responding to their message. They’ll also be able to share photos and voice notes. Multi-person chats are possible as well, BBM Groups allows users to invite as many as 30 friends to chat together. Users will have their own unique pin, so they won’t have to give out their number or email in order to add a contact on BBM. BBM for Android will be supported by devices that run Ice Cream Sandwich and Jelly Bean. Only iPhones capable of running iOS 6 and iOS 7 will be able to support BBM. There will not be an iPad app at launch.

BBM For Android And iPhone Releases On September 21-22 Respectively original content from Ubergizmo.

Earlier this year BlackBerry announced that it is finally opening up BlackBerry Messenger to other platforms, iOS and Android to be precise. BBM used to be one of the biggest selling points for BlackBerry devices, but now the messaging service has been eclipsed by competitors such as Viber and WhatsApp. Up till now BBM has only been exclusive to the company’s own smartphones. Since its smartphones are not performing as well as they used to in the market, perhaps the company will be able to steal a few customers after they get a taste of BBM on the aforementioned platforms. Ahead of its impending launch, the user guides for BBM on iOS and Android have been leaked.

BlackBerry said that it would release the messenger on these platforms this summer. Rumor has it that the release will take place next month. It was recently reported that the company has already rolled out the apps to a select group of beta testers on both iOS and Android. The user guides won’t be of much use to you if you’ve carried a BlackBerry in the past and are well accustomed to BBM. They’ve aimed towards people who’ve never used BBM before. The guides contain information about BBM PINs, BlackBerry IDs and more. Do check them out if you plan on using BBM on your iOS or Android device once it releases.

BBM iOS And Android User Guides Leaked original content from Ubergizmo.