BBM Is Not Coming To iPhone And Android On June 27
There's a report spreading around today that BBM is coming to iPhones and Android devices on June 27. — The report is based on a tweet from T-Mobile's UK account. (T-Mobile has deleted the tweet.) — According to a source …
Context & Ripple Effects
BlackBerry had signaled that BBM was headed to iOS, though the earlier plan limited the initial iOS release to iPhone rather than iPad. T-Mobile's deleted tweet turned that broad plan into a purported June 27 launch date, which BlackBerry has denied.
The timing matters because Android and iOS accounted for 92.3% of global smartphone shipments in the first quarter of 2013. Extending BBM beyond BlackBerry hardware is therefore a distribution decision aimed at the platforms where most new smartphones are shipping.
First-order effects
- BlackBerry and T-Mobile must correct expectations around the alleged June 27 availability date; BBM is not launching on iPhone and Android on that schedule.
- iPhone and Android users who expected a cross-platform BBM launch remain without the service, while the previously described iOS plan still excludes iPad at launch.
Second-order effects
- T-Mobile loses a potential near-term BBM talking point for its BlackBerry Q10 launch, leaving its messaging around the handset tied more closely to the device itself.
- A delayed cross-platform launch preserves BBM's near-term dependence on BlackBerry users rather than immediately turning it into a service competing for attention on Android and iPhone.
Third-order effects
- BlackBerry's stated move toward iOS and Android points to messaging services becoming less tied to the handset brand; its ability to retain BBM's value will increasingly depend on serving users across rival platforms.
- With Android and iOS dominating smartphone shipments, BlackBerry faces pressure to treat BBM as a cross-platform service even as that reduces one reason to choose its own hardware.
The trend: Mobile messaging is shifting from a handset-specific feature toward a cross-platform service, as audience reach on Android and iOS becomes central to its value.