BlackBerry Messenger, a free messaging and social networking application for BlackBerry devices, will be coming to iOS and Android app stores at some point, but not June 27 as tweeted by T-Mobile UK early Thursday.
T-Mobile did send out a new tweet later today, saying: "Sorry folks, we got over-excited about the BBM app coming to Android/iOS. No specific availability date yet, stay tuned for details."
A BlackBerry spokeswoman issued a email statement in between the T-Mobile tweets disavowing the initial T-Mobile report. "We will communicate an update as soon as we have an availability date to share," the spokeswoman said.
She noted that when BBM for Android and iOS were announced on May 14, the company said it would be available this summer, subject to approval by the Apple App Store and Google Play.
She didn't say whether the online stores have approved the app yet.
BlackBerry CEO Thorsten Heins announced BBM for devices running iOS 6 and above and Android Ice Cream Sandwich and above during the BlackBerry Live event on May 14. At the time, he said 60 million BBM customers send 10 billion messages a day, half of which are read within 20 seconds.
BBM will initially offer text messaging only for the iOS and Androind operating systems, with features such as voice and video and screen sharing added later in 2013. A BBM feature called channels will allow Twitter-like functionality.
Meanwhile, BlackBerry officials today refused to comment on a CNET report that the company plans to release a touchscreen smartphone, the A10, this year.
The A10 would succeed Z10 at the high end of the line, while the Z10 and Q10 move to the mid-tier, according to the report.
Quoting an unnamed source, CNET said that Sprint will sell the A10.
Heins has repeatedly said there will be new BlackBerry smartphones unveiled later in 2013. The company announced the BlackBerry Q5, a 3.1-in. qwerty smartphone, on May 14 for emerging markets, but not the U.S.
The qwerty Q10 went on sale in the U.S. yesterday, with T-Mobile USA charging $99.99 down and 24 equal payments of $20. Verizon Wireless put it on pre-order yesterday with online purchases available today and in-store purchases on June 10 for $199.99 and a two-year contract.
AT&T began taking online orders for the Q10 yesterday for $199.99 and a two-year contract, with shipments and in-store sales set for later in the summer.
Sprint has plans to sell the device later in the summer as well.
SAP said it is prepping mobile finance apps for the Q10 that are slated for release later this year. Three of the SAP apps already run on the touchscreen Z10 smartphone.
