Android

Good news for BlackBerry 10 users today as the Canadian company announce a new deal they have struck with Amazon which will see the Amazon Appstore become available on BlackBerry 10.3 later in the year.

Although getting Android apps onto our BlackBerry 10 handsets is pretty straight forward once you know how, this new partnership will provide a seamless way for the consumer to get hold of Android apps direct from their smartphone.

Having instant access to many apps that have been missing from BlackBerry World sure is going to be great for both existing and new BlackBerry users and should hopefully go some way to bridging the gap between BlackBerry and the competition.

I just hope there is some fine tuning in the BlackBerry version of the Appstore as what I don't want is to be able to download Android apps for my Q10 to discover they only run properly on all touch BlackBerry 10 devices. Time will tell.

Excited about the new relationship? Let us know your thoughts.

Press Release

Waterloo, ON - BlackBerry Limited (NASDAQ: BBRY; TSX: BB), a world leader in mobile communications, today announced that the Amazon Appstore will be available with the launch of the BlackBerry 10.3 operating system this fall, greatly expanding access to thousands of the most popular apps and games to BlackBerry customers.

With more than 240,000 Android applications in the Amazon Appstore worldwide, BlackBerry 10 device customers will gain access to popular apps such as Groupon, Netflix, Pinterest, Candy Crush Saga and Minecraft.

The strategic move also enables BlackBerry to align its developer program with its renewed focus on delivering the most secure, end-to-end mobile enterprise solutions, by placing more emphasis on the development of vital enterprise and productivity applications.

"Making the Amazon Appstore available on BlackBerry 10 devices will help BlackBerry continue to meet two essential needs: greater app availability for our smartphone users and enhanced productivity solutions for enterprises," said BlackBerry Executive Chairman and CEO John Chen. "We've listened to our customers and have taken this important step to deliver on their needs, while executing on our strategy."

BlackBerry and Amazon will be working with the BlackBerry application developer community to help them migrate their apps to the Amazon Appstore in preparation for the 10.3 launch, where they will benefit from the store's powerful promotional tools that enable maximum discoverability and profitability. This will include Appstore Developer Select, which provides enhanced merchandising, as well as Amazon Coins incentives, the Developer Promotions Console, which enables real-time pricing adjustments and specials, and the popular Free App of the Day program.

BlackBerry will unveil a new enterprise application partner program for corporate developers, ISVs and systems integrators, designed to expand the number of enterprise applications that leverage BlackBerry 10 to deliver business-class functionality and enhance users' productivity, communication and collaboration.

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