BlackBerry Messenger iOS And Android Coming 27 June

BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) for iOS and Android will be released on 27 June, according to a tweet posted by T-Mobile. The UK operator has not disclosed any other details, but if true, the instant messaging service should be available to download from the Apple App Store and Google Play. BlackBerry had not responded to requests for comment at the time of writing, but has previously stated the first version of the application will feature instant messaging, multi-person chats, voice note sharing and BlackBerry Groups which allow BBM users to share calendars, photos and files.

The now-deleted tweet read: “Great news – BlackBerry Messenger will be available to download on iOS and Android from June 27th! 🙂 #BBM twitter.com/TMobileUK/stat… — T-MOBILE UK (@TMobileUK) June 6, 2013”

BlackBerry Messenger iOS and Android

It will be the first time that BBM is available on a non-BlackBerry operating system, as the Canadian manufacturer seeks to combat the threat of rival cross-platform instant messaging services such as WhatsApp. BBM was once one of the biggest selling points of the BlackBerry platform, but its importance has been reduced by the declining popularity of BlackBerry smartphones. However, BBM still claims more than 60 million monthly active users with more than 50 million averaging an hour and a half hours of use every day. These users send and receive more than 10 billion messages every day, more than any other messaging platform, with almost more than half read within 20 seconds. BlackBerry will hope that its cross-platform approach will ensure BBM’s continuing popularity and allow it to take advantage of the growing use of mobile instant messaging services, which now account for more traffic than SMS. An average of 19.1 billion messages were sent every day on over-the-top mobile messaging platforms in 2012, while it has been estimated these services cost mobile operators £8.8 billion in lost  SMS revenue during 2011. What do you know about BlackBerrys? Find out with our quiz!