Android is plagued by fragmentation, even though the latest iteration of Google’s mobile platform is Android 4.4 KitKat, over 21 percent of all Android devices in the world are currently running on Android 2.3 Gingerbread which came out back in December 2010. This leads to an inconsistent user experience, as most new apps don’t support firmware versions that have been outdated for so long. BlackBerry Messenger or BBM which was released for Android and iOS last year also doesn’t support Gingerbread devices, but BlackBerry has heard users who want it to bring its popular messaging service to Android 2.3. The company announced today that BBM Gingerbread release takes place very soon.
We first heard about BlackBerry working on a BBM for Gingerbread app earlier this month, today the company confirms that it will be available on all Gingerbread devices running Android 2.3.3 or higher soon. The app has now moved into the external beta phase prior to launch in February. Once it does come out, millions of Android users will have access to it, they will be able to use it to stay in touch with other BBM users on iOS, Android and BlackBerry smartphones. We’ll have to wait for the app to actually drop to see how it performs on Gingerbread devices.
Filed in . Read more about BBM and BlackBerry.