In the run-up to what many consider RIM’s comeback/last hope for regaining its lost marketshare, we’ve been given quite a few insights into BlackBerry 10. There are videos with glimpsed of the new OS floating around on YouTube, alpha phones have been given out to encourage developers to build compatible apps, and we’ve even seen some leaked snapshots one of the (gorgeous) new devices. And if the company’s VP of Global Alliances and Business Development is to be believed, BlackBerry won’t be facing the app store shortage that has a potential Windows Phone buyers thinking twice: he says the company has managed to secure the majority of the top apps for its new platform.
No ad to show here.
Speaking to The Verge, RIM’s Martyn Mallick said that through its strategy of hosting developer events worldwide and directly communicating with potential partners, it has removed all the problems that could prevent BlackBerry’s App World from featuring the most popular global apps. He said the process in so far has “exceeded even our most optimistic metrics,” although he admits that “at the end of the day, you’re not going to have every app.”
Although this doesn’t rule out the possibility that some of the big name apps could be missing, it seems like BlackBerry, like Microsoft, is working on it. “If there’s an obstacle in the way, we try to remove it,” said Mallick. “Whether that’s technical, so be it. If that’s business, so be it.”
In the run-up to the January 30 launch of BlackBerry 10, CMO Frank Boulben has also been eager to confirm that the six new devices RIM plans to launch in 2013 will have the apps consumers expect. Boulben told Fierce Wireless that BlackBerry 10 will launch with at least 70 000 apps — particularly, that it will support 90% of the top 600 apps in major markets.
BlackBerry is also pushing for a major, and rapid, worldwide roll out of the devices at the end of the month. Over 150 carriers globally are testing the devices, which will be unveiled at launch events in Dubai, Johannesburg, Paris, London, New York and Toronto.
