BlackBerry announced today that it has made the Android version of its BBM messaging app available for Gingerbread-powered devices, delivering on a promise made last month.
Launching a product for Gingerbread, an operating system that is already two years old, might not seem entirely logical, but it accounts for 20 percent of all active Android devices — and is particularly well-used in emerging markets, where BBM remains a reasonable player in the messaging space.
Gartner estimates there were 877 million active Android devices last year, which suggests that (roughly) 175 million were on Gingerbread — BBM claimed 80 million active users at the end of October, right after launching apps for iOS and Android. The move to Gingerbread could be big for BBM, but there are many cross-platform messaging apps and BBM has far fewer users than WhatsApp, WeChat, Line and others.
The 💜 of EU tech
The latest rumblings from the EU tech scene, a story from our wise ol' founder Boris, and some questionable AI art. It's free, every week, in your inbox. Sign up now!
Image via Ethan Miller/Getty Images
Get the TNW newsletter
Get the most important tech news in your inbox each week.