RIM Announces Launch of BlackBerry App Store

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April 1, 2009 | BY Brad Wellman
  


Brad Wellman
Spyder Trap Online Marketing

Today Research In Motion Ltd (RIM) – maker of BlackBerry devices – launched the BlackBerry App World, the official BlackBerry Application Store as their response to Apple’s iPhone/iPod Touch App Store. This doesn’t come as much of a surprise, as BlackBerry has been losing market share to both the Apple iPhone and Google G1 smartphones, both of which feature an application marketplace.

The BlackBerry App World features several free applications, from Social Media apps such as a Facebook, MySpace and AIM (sorry, no Twitter app…yet) to games, weather, and personal finance to name a few.  Purchasing apps is pretty simple, although users need a PayPal account first, as PayPal is handling all the billing for BlackBerry’s App World.  RIM is looking to work with carriers to allow users to make payments via their monthly bills.

Being brand new, the BB App World offers far fewer selections than Apple’s version. However, this should help BlackBerry grow in the future. Accordign to a post by TheMoneyTimes, “RIM said it expects about 1,000 applications to be posted on BlackBerry App World within a week. It is looking for applications from various partners including CC Media Holdings Inc.’s (CCMO) Clear Channel, Gameloft SA (GFT.FR), Viacom Inc.’s (VIAB) MTV Networks, the New York Times Co. (NYT) and Salesforce.com Inc. (CRM).”

So now that the long anticipated wait for BlackBerry Apps is over, what do you think of it? What are your favorite apps? What would you like to see in the future?

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  • http://www.twitter.com/devilishdelish Bria Skalsky

    I love that BB finally has an app store. I think it is definitely long overdue, and not as expansive as I would have hoped for, but it is a step in the right direction. The apps available thus far look decent and are priced appropriately. The Facebook app needs a bit of work, though. The Myspace app, along with the IM programs are great, especially at zero cost. I also look forward to using the Pandora app, as I have been praying for once since the day I got my first BB. Overall, I think it is a step in the right direction, although I think much expansion is needed in order to compete with the likes of the iPhone and G1 app stores.

    And could they create a twitter app that is better than twitterberry… hmmmm :)

  • http://www.twitter.com/bradwellman Brad Wellman

    I agree, it is long overdue and although it may not be as sleek and sexy as the iPhone and G1 app stores, at least its something… I agree that there needs to be a full-scale Twitter app that has much more functionality than TwitterBerry. There is TinyTwitter, which I only for a short period of time, which has more functionality than TwitterBerry, but the interface I found to be rather confusing and not as user friendly as I had hoped. I’m still using TwitterBerry, but I hope something better comes along…SOON.

  • http://www.twitter.com/devilishdelish Bria Skalsky

    Let’s definitely hope so. I am giving them 3 to 6 months to expand the app store. All I can say is thank the lord for the Pandora app. As far as TwitterBerry, it works. That is about it. It works better than the mobile web version, and since it is free, I won’t complain. I will have to keep my eye out for something better, though.