Using Android apps on a BlackBerry 10 smartphone is about to get a bit easier thanks to Amazon. A newly announced deal between Amazon and BlackBerry will have the Amazon Appstore coming available on BlackBerry 10 smartphones. This is expected to happen “this fall” with the arrival of BlackBerry 10.3.
Having the Amazon Appstore pre-loaded on BlackBerry 10 devices will go a long way to help improve the app ecosystem for BlackBerry users. And coming as a bit of a coincidence of timing — we recently learned how the Amazon Appstore had risen to nearly a quarter-million available apps. That news was released by Amazon earlier in the week and showed the Appstore as having a bit more than 240,000 available Android apps.
BlackBerry Executive Chairman and CEO John Chen mentioned how they have “listened to our [their] customers and have taken this important step to deliver on their needs, while executing on our strategy.” As for that strategy, there was talk of BlackBerry bringing “renewed focus on delivering the most secure, end-to-end mobile enterprise solutions.”
Otherwise, there was also talk of how both BlackBerry and Amazon will be working together with the BlackBerry application developer community in an effort to help migrate apps to the Amazon Appstore ahead of the 10.3 launch. Similar to details we’ve seen with current Amazon Appstore developers — this means goodies such as the Appstore Developer Select program which includes enhanced merchandising, incentives for Amazon Coins, the free app of the day program, real-time proving adjustments and more.
SOURCE: Marketwatch
