BlackBerry has one thing going for it right now and that’s BBM. Ever since the once iconic messaging client was opened up to iOS and Android, it brought in over 40 million new users. The stats continue to go up and the company is committed to bringing it at par with its rivals. While BBM on BlackBerry’s own devices offer greater features right now, some of those features are bound to make their way to iOS and Android. The company has released a new beta of BBM for Android which brings BBM Channels as well as voice chat.
Voice chat will definitely bring BBM at par with its rivals such as Viber and Skype, even though they have significantly larger user bases. Baby steps are what BlackBerry is taking right now in order to make BBM a true competitor in the ever competitive cross-platform messaging arena. BBM Channels are basically a social network of sorts. Users can create their own channels or follow ones made by their favorite brands, companies, personalities etc. They are able to post messages on that channel as well as share pictures, messages and more through it. Those interested in testing out the beta need to sign up for the BlackBerry Beta Zone first.
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