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BBM for Android, iPhone face existing dominance

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The BBM launch excitement for Android and iPhone is clear, especially within schools where teens are talking about the cool BlackBerry Messenger features they like and want to see on iOS and Android phones.

While there is a certain amount of success expected thanks to those that already desire to download the BBM app on iPhone and Android, it is also clear that when the chat app arrives it will do so at a time when another app is ruling this area in most countries.

BBM vs. WhatsApp on Android and iPhone — one of our readers explained it perfectly after a recent article, “those of you that previously used BBM on a BlackBerry phone will love BBM for iPhone or Android”. The reason for this is that these people will still have a number of contacts using a BlackBerry device, so naturally they’d love BBM for Android and iPhone.

The big problem for BlackBerry is the current dominance of WhatsApp. If just about everyone you know is on one chat app, then why use another? You’ll want to be using the same app as everyone else.

You can see a clear picture if you look at the iTunes Store charts for their top 10 paid apps. We had a quick look at the time of writing and notice WhatsApp is currently in first position for the most downloaded paid app, and amazingly this is not just in one location like the UK.

WhatsApp is currently the top paid app in the UK, Austria, Belgium, Australia and many other countries. The chat app is currently second to Where’s My Mickey in the United States.

Most importantly, BlackBerry’s home country of Canada has WhatsApp listed as the top paid app as well, so it will be really interesting to see how this all changes at the BBM launch for iPhone and Android.

Would you leave WhatsApp for BBM on your iPhone or Android phone? You can read about the impact of BBM on Android and iPhone from a financial point of view in this article, although we did notice a lot of our readers still see BBM as a great way to connect with friends and family not using WhatsApp on their BlackBerry phones. It is also good to remember that while WhatsApp dominates, there are still plenty of other apps that BBM will need to combat as well on iPhone and Android devices.

Comments

29 thoughts on “BBM for Android, iPhone face existing dominance”

  1. bemo says:

    Bbm too much trouble. Must use bbm pin
    Whatsapp is better with phone number
    And hangout is better for not using phone number

    Therefore bbm = fail

    1. halimaz says:

      Watsapp is really a crap! No privacy at all! Someone having your number may jst end up saving your picture without you even having him as a contact. But for bbm, u choose who stays a contact! I prefer it more! Thumbs up bbm 5stars!

  2. Nads says:

    Love the privacy bbm offers. U gotta hv my pin to send me a message. I choose who is in my bbm pool and once I change my profile info or pic everyone in ma bbm knows and can see my updates immediately. With WhatsApp my contacts wud hv to purposefully go into my profile to c my status.

  3. Lourens Tredoux says:

    Can’t wait for BBM! WhatsApp has more smileys, but most of them are almost useless. BBM is more secure, more private, and has a cleaner, simpler interface.

  4. Sairus says:

    well , nothing can compare with BBM . Whats app lakes tons of features .. BBM now got voice and video call and also adding new features , bbm channel which is kinda like a private social networking .. BBM Group is an awesome way to keep intouch with group of friends or family or work and share photos videos , files, notes and appointments ..another thing is privacy .. To me better to use PIN than phone number .so yes i am one of these ppl who wait very much to have BBM on my windows 8 phone .. And there is no chance for whatsapp to win this ..

  5. Dave says:

    I like bbm better because of the Delivered (D) and Read (R) are more private. On whats app it showes a timestamps of when you were on it last or when you are currently online. It’s no ones business if I was on Whats app at 4 am. It takes away some life privacy whereas bbm you just know whether or not it was read.

    1. Brandon says:

      No true, WhatsApp has a higher usage per day compared to bbm. Because it has a broader market. And with Android having the top share in the smartphone market, iPhone having the 2nd and blackberry only having the 3rd.

  6. Lola says:

    Bbm is great for dating! U meet a guy in a bar and don’t have to give him ur number, u can give him ur pin and chat. If u don’t like him u block him. I much prefer not having to give my nuimber out like u have to on whatsapp

  7. Amanda Jane McGuire-Jones says:

    I have no real love for BBM or what’s App! I actally prefer using Viber. I don’t rate What app Much & don’t like BBM that much either. If you want BBM just go buy a CrapBerry. It’s all – Chavie Skanks , Horney preverts or teenagers – people ping you. BBM was one of the reasons l ditched the phone. It’s not as great as people think it is. BlackBerrys in the 1st place..

  8. Christian Dev says:

    Its too late. They where rummors RIM will release BBM for android since 2009, I would have changed to BBM back then along with everyone else. I think they had a chance till 2011 but now it is just too late.. it will be yet another useless messaging app we dont need. Whatsapp has every feature.. perhaps maybe video call.. that I would like on a messaging app. BBM would have being nice till 2 years ago, but now it is too late.

  9. Liam Wiltshire says:

    Bbm is much simpler and has a quicker and more versitiler user interface… But it is the way that blackberry design the app that will determine which of the 2 is better… For example twitter is awsome on iOS, but crappy on blackberry.

  10. Beck says:

    I like BBM for the privacy side of things…Whatsapp always shows when you’re active.
    With BBM only the you only add the people you want, you are not accessable to everyone who may have your number and with BBM you can tell when your message has been read, two ticks on whatsapp just means delivered.

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