The next update to the tenth version of BlackBerry will allow Android developers to directly (without porting) transfer their applications developed with an eye on Jelly Bean to the Canadian OS.
BlackBerry is struggling to stay afloat. Six months ago, before the release of OS version 10, Canadians were still believed in (as some still believe in the revival of Nokia). But after the release of the raw system and the BlackBerry Z10 not brought to mind, hopes for its bright future evaporated. It became clear: the company may not survive until 2014.
Today, almost any BlackBerry initiatives resemble attempts by a drowning person to escape by grasping at straws. The announcement of app support for Android 4.1 is one of these straws. And as it may seem at first, the attempt is serious, if not for one funny incident.
BlackBerry 10 already has support for Android 2.3 applications. Their share of the total portfolio of programs in BlackBerry World, the official store of the Canadian company, is about 20%. However, they are amicably hated by users. The scale of hatred is evidenced by the fact that even the head of the BlackBerry development department, Alec Saunders, admits: “users don’t like these applications.”
It is clear that with the support of Android 4.1 applications, the situation will not change. Therefore, the question is quite natural – why implement it at all?
BlackBerry 10.2 will be released this summer.
Sources: pocketgamer.biz