What do I need to know about BBM for Android and iPhone?

Blackberry is about to release official BBM apps for the two major smartphone platforms. Apparently this is a big deal.

I have never used a Blackberry and so have never used BBM. My questions are:

  1. what does it do that other systems don’t do?
  2. do I have to pay Blackberry for this?
  3. will this save Blackberry, or hasten it’s demise?
  1. I believe the best feature is that BBM is more secure. It is easier to retrieve messages from Whatsapp, KIK, etc that aren’t meant for you. BBM is also more reliable in the delivery of messages. It will be possible for Android users to share contacts through NFC.
  2. AFAIK, it’s free. However, this may change in the future.
  3. I would say neither. However, it will give them a far bigger user base, which is often equal to money nowadays. There is also talk of spinning off the BBM division from BlackBerry.

Some other info

http://www.engadget.com/2013/09/02/bbm-for-android-beta-walkthrough/

With BBM I can see when my message was successfully delivered, then I can see when it’s been read.

There’s a profile picture I can set, along with a status: something like Facebook.

It’s a big deal only to their desperate stockholders and die-hard fanboys. They haven’t been relevant in half a decade, just lost a billion dollars, and will likely be bankrupt soon.

Blackberry gives your messages to governments that want it (even before PRISM), so it’s not secure. If you want security, self-signed PGP is a better bet.

If you want read receipts, Facebook does that for free and probably for longer than Blackberry’s remaining life.

I have a BB and have never used BBM, because I thought I could only use it to message other BB users. Is that not the case?

That used to be the case. They are in the process of rolling it out to android and iphone this week (was supposed to be yesterday, but it looks like there may have been some issues).

They should have done it years ago.

Whatsapp, KIK and probably other message services do the same. OP asked what is different.

Whatsapp is so unsecured that people with little tech knowledge can receive messages directed towards your phone number. Huge difference.

Death of Black Berry doesn’t mean the end of BBM.

I didn’t know that.

Not that different from the bigger IM channels from Google, Apple, Microsoft, etc.

And BBM without enterprise ties to BB is just another ICQ or AIM. Big whoop.

Big Black Males!? How does tha- Oh wait, never mind! :smiley: