In recent days, there has been a spate of reporting that suggests that Research In Motion Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) (TSE:BB)’s famed messenger application (BBM) would debut on iOS and Android on June 27. It seems that these reports are just unsubstantiated rumors that are presently being denied by Research In Motion Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) (TSE:BB).
The action that sparked this false reporting? On Thursday, T-Mobile U.K. tweeted that BBM would indeed be available for iOS and Android come June 27, even adding an image of a BBM conversation running on a Samsung Android phone. This tweet has since been removed suggesting that it wasn’t an accurate statement.
Steve Kovach of Business Insider, reported yesterday that his source, someone familiar with BlackBerry’s plans, called all these reports and rumors “bogus.”
An unnamed Research In Motion Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) (TSE:BB) representative also told CNET’s Lance Whitney: “That date is completely inaccurate; we have never indicated a specific date.”
As if this reporting wasn’t sufficient to dis-spell the rumors, Research In Motion Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) (TSE:BB) also released an official statement that read:
On May 14, BlackBerry announced plans to make its ground-breaking mobile social network, BlackBerry Messenger (BBM), available to iOS and Android users this summer, subject to approval by the Apple App Store and Google Play. While there have been reports that BBM will be available to iOS and Android on June 27, this is not accurate. We will communicate an update as soon as we have an availability date to share.
Research In Motion Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) (TSE:BB) Messenger (BBM) has long been, along with its QWERTY keyboards, one of the few features that has kept people using the ailing smartphone line. For many analysts, it seemed crazy when Research In Motion Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) (TSE:BB) announced that they would be releasing BBM to other platforms last month. One would also think that both the Apple App Store and Google Play will immediately approve the app when it is submitted to the two app clearing houses. In theory, the app would give BBM users an incentive to switch to either iOS or Android.
Research In Motion Ltd (BBRY) Working For Pre-loading BBM In Rivals’ Phones:
It is also believed that Research In Motion Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) (TSE:BB) is working with handset manufacturers to include BBM per-installed on certain smartphones though no specifics were shared when Officer Kristian Tear told CNET on Wednesday that, “there is interest from other handset makers.”
“We don’t feel like that is a risk,” he told CNET when asked if the release of BBM to other platforms could cost BlackBerry market share. “Obviously, if we did, we might have acted differently.”
