BBM for Android to be preinstalled on new smartphones in Africa, Middle East

Much to the surprise of… no one, BBM will soon come as a pre-installed app on “a variety” of Android phones, said BlackBerry. BBM is set to drop on to manufacturers across the Middle East, India, Africa, Latin America and Indonesia.

From December, the BBM app for Android comes as standard for phones on these networks: Be, Brightstar, Celkon, EVERCOSS, IMO, Micromax, Mito, Snexian, Spice, TECNO, TiPhone and Zen.

It’s a must-have app, said BlackBerry. “It is clear that smartphone customers see BBM as a must have app for active conversations. The uptake we have seen for BBM since the launch on Android and iPhone is amazing. We’re thrilled to be working with leading Android smartphone manufacturers from across the globe to help bring their customers the best out-of-the-box experience with BBM preinstalled,” said Andrew Bocking, Executive VP for BBM.

For Indonesian users, having access to BBM is make-or-break deal. “Mobile messaging is a top priority for Indonesian mobile users and BBM has long been the premium messaging brand. Mobile users want their conversations to be immediate, private and reliable, which makes BBM a great fit for our devices. BBM is incredibly popular in Indonesia and since it’s availability on Android, it’s become the must have messaging app for our customers. We are therefore thrilled to be working with the BBM team at BlackBerry to preinstall BBM on our devices, making it easier than ever for our customers to get connected to BBM contacts and start chatting,” said Janto Djojo, CMO at EVERCOSS.

BBM for Android launched earlier last month and was downloaded in the tens of millions so clearly the app is more than a simple marketing ploy to spike user interest. Come December, we’ll see millions of more phones across Africa and the Middle East, among others, sharing the pre-installed BBM love.