Instagram reportedly says no native app for BlackBerry 10

As BlackBerry 10 works to get a foothold in the smartphone market, it's considered crucial that the platform carry all the components important to users. Besides a camera, Wi-Fi support, and a well-designed interface, the smartphone also needs to be able to carry popular apps.

However, it's looking like one of the world's most popular apps isn't planning on developing a version for BlackBerry 10. Instagram is reportedly not going to create a native BlackBerry 10 app, according to AllThingsD. VentureBeat also reported on this back in October.

"There will be no [native] Instagram for BB10 for now," an unnamed source familiar with the matter told AllThingsD. "Frankly, I'm not sure there will ever be."

This could come as a blow to the nascent platform. In order for users to buy a device, they'll want to have the same apps as their friends with devices from other companies. Also, to lure app developers, a platform needs to be seen as successful in the app world.

However, some people argue that a smaller app store and lack of popular apps, like Instagram, don't matter for a company that specializes in the enterprise market. And, BlackBerry 10 has managed to get several other popular native apps, such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

According to AllThingsD, Instagram is developing a port of the Android version of the app, which will let BlackBerry users access the app. However, the news site also says that Android ports are less user-friendly than native apps.

CNET contacted BlackBerry and Instagram for comment. We'll update the story when we get more information.