BlackBerry Messenger Landing On iOS And Android June 27th [UPDATE: BlackBerry Confirms False Date]

TE: Not only has the tweet from T-Mobile UK been removed, but BusinessInsider is claiming that the June 27th date is false. ]

[UPDATE 2: BlackBerry has confirmed to TheNextWeb that BBM will not be launching for iOS or Android on June 27th]

iOS and Android users are in for a treat later this month. Those who have been longing for BBM to finds its way to the world’s two most popular mobile operating systems will soon have their wishes granted on June 27th.

T-Mobile UK tweeted the following earlier this morning:

Great news – BlackBerry Messenger will be available to download on iOS and Android from June 27th! #BBM twitter.com/TMobileUK/stat…

— T-MOBILE UK (@TMobileUK) June 6, 2013



Not only was the T-Mobile UK Twitter account nice enough to show off the Samsung Galaxy S III running BBM, but also announcing the June 27th release date. We knew it was going to be happening soon, but at least people who are excited about using the service on iOS or Android can start their countdowns.

Many people have been wanting BlackBerry’s messaging service to become available on more platforms, but it still remains to be seen as to how well BBM will do when it debuts. Whenever Google Hangouts receives SMS integration, BBM may end up being too little, way too late.

What do you think? Are you excited for BBM on Android and iOS?

BlackBerry going for the car market with new M2M solution

BlackBerry wants to extend its platform outside of the “mobile realm.” To that end, the company is showing off a new solution for automakers to allow them to manage and deliver over-the-air (OTA) software updates to their vehicles.

Relying on BlackBerry’s existing infrastructure, the new Software Update Management for Automotive service facilitates machine-to-machine (M2M) communication directly between the automaker and the vehicle, making it seamless for automaker to provide software updates to vehicles in the field. In addition, with BlackBerry’s M2M service, car companies will also be able to add new apps to the in-vehicle infotainment systems, along with the ability to get the status of functional systems in a vehicle.

According to a Gartner study, 40% of US vehicle owners either “definitely want to get” or at least are “likely to get” the ability for wireless software updates in their next new vehicle. This in turn makes this capability the third most demanded automotive-centric web application and function.

The development of OTA services is described as a part of BlackBerry’s broader mobile computing strategy, which obviously wants to see BlackBerry OS running in as many devices as possible. We’ll see whether the Canadian company can pull this off…

BlackBerry’s New All-Touch A10 Flagship Phone to Debut in November

Alright BlackBerry fans, get ready for the successor to the Z10. CNET is reporting that BlackBerry will be launching a new flagship device, that will “occupy the highest tier,” relegating the Z10 and keyboard touting Q10 to the mid-tier. The A10 will be an all touch device similar to the Z10, and will run on the BlackBerry 10 OS. Sprint will be the first carrier to offer the device, with other carriers likely to follow suit.

While we still have no official confirmation on when the device will be hitting store shelves, the device is rumored to be debuting in November, which would pit it directly against the Samsung Galaxy S4 and the HTC One, as well as any new device that Apple may be releasing around that time.

BlackBerry was under pressure to announce the A10 at last month’s BlackBerry Live conference, but Heins kept the device a mystery as to not take the wind out of the release of the keyboard touting Q10, which is set to roll out on multiple carriers in the near future.

Will the A10 keep BlackBerry afloat, or will it come too little too late for the company?