LG Installing BBM On LG G Pro, Future Phones
This deal should be a big win for BlackBerry.
BlackBerry Limited revealed on Wednesday that the LG G Pro Lite from LG Electronics will feature BBM (BlackBerry Messenger), the first of many LG phones that will have the popular chat client already installed right out of the box. BBM will also continue to be available as a free download from Android app stores, including Google Play, the company said.
News of the deal arrives after BlackBerry launched the client on Android and iOS nearly two months ago. The Android version was reportedly downloaded over 10 million times in the first twenty-four hours of its release. The iOS version darted up the charts to be the number one free app in more than 75 countries in the same time period. That's quite a feat for a chat service that previously only resided on BlackBerry phones.
"People across the globe are using BBM to connect with each other and the enthusiasm has been phenomenal," said Andrew Bocking, Executive Vice President for BBM at BlackBerry. "We're extremely pleased that LG Electronics will help bring their customers a more seamless experience with BBM by preloading the app, starting with the G Pro Lite in key markets."
BBM users can get into groups and chat away, perfect for on-the-go meetings, comparing notes with others during a trade show, or locating friends in real time in a theme park. BlackBerry promises that BBM Groups lets users invite up to 30 friends to chat together, as well as share photo albums, calendars and files. Even more, BBM is based on the PIN system, meaning users must trade PIN numbers with friends and family in order to chat.
This deal with LG Electronics should be a big win for BlackBerry, as this move could push Android device owners to use BBM as their default messenger instead of the many other chat clients on Google Play (Skype, KIK, etc). The BBM experience will reportedly continue to evolve over the coming months, with planned updates including support for BBM Channels, a new service that connects BBM users to communities of shared interests. Also on the schedule are BBM Voice calling and BBM Video calling.
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Kevin Parrish has over a decade of experience as a writer, editor, and product tester. His work focused on computer hardware, networking equipment, smartphones, tablets, gaming consoles, and other internet-connected devices. His work has appeared in Tom's Hardware, Tom's Guide, Maximum PC, Digital Trends, Android Authority, How-To Geek, Lifewire, and others.
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thundervore Great! just what Android users need on their phones. More bloatware that they cannot uninstall from the factory unless rooted!!!Reply
When I got my Android phone the first thing I did was root it grab a stock rom then rip out all the crap listed below before flashing :
AT&T Locker
AT&T Messages
AT&T Drive Mode
AT&T Code Scanner
AT&T Navigator
AT&T Family Map
Featured Apps (more AT&T crap)
Mobile TV (more AT&T crap)
YP Local Search & Gas Prices (more AT&T crap)
Google Play Music
Google Play Books
Google Play Movies -
Duckhunt I traveled in asia. BBM is necessary and is more popular then any of the other things out there.Reply -
thundervore Reply12218312 said:I wouldn't call BBM bloatware LOL
It is bloatware. If users want BBM they can download it from the Playsotre just like everyone else who wanted it did.
The point I am trying to make is that if users want it, they will take it upon themselves download it easily. If users do not want it, they have to root their phones because they cannot uninstall it.