LG to support BBM as standard smartphone feature
Friday, December 20, 2013 - 12:07:05
LG has announced that it will be installing BlackBerry Messenger, (BBM), on its next smartphone in the factory, indicating that it sees this particular IM platform as being a real selling point.
BBM used to be available only on BlackBerry handsets, but this autumn it launched on third party platforms, including iOS and Android. Over 25 million people have downloaded it since then, but LG's move could make it even more ubiquitous.
The first phone to feature BBM as standard is the LG G Pro Lite, with the manufacturer revealing its intentions to integrate the service in a number of other devices next year.
BBM is beneficial for users because it not only opens up a convenient and cheap way to get in touch with tens of millions of people across the world, but is also one of the most secure platforms out there at the moment.
BlackBerry has been struggling in recent years, having seen its market share dwindle as it failed to keep up with the pace of evolution in the rest of the smartphone industry.
Earlier this year, it introduced the new BB 10 operating system, as well as devices like the Z10, Q10 and Q5. However, it did not see the sales success that it needed and has since been seeking a buyer, as well as attempting to make its software and services available for licensing to third parties.
BBM's arrival as a preinstalled feature on LG smartphones could be the first step to BlackBerry's return to relevance, especially if other manufacturers follow suit. LG is not the world's most influential mobile maker, but it could inspire domestic rival, Samsung, to also embrace BBM, which would be a much more significant coup for the struggling company from Canada.
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