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Report: BlackBerry World to offer Android apps

The 10.2.1 update to the Blackberry OS will support native Android apps.

Aloysius Low Senior Editor
Aloysius Low is a Senior Editor at CNET covering mobile and Asia. Based in Singapore, he loves playing Dota 2 when he can spare the time and is also the owner-minion of two adorable cats.
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Aloysius Low
You may be able to run Android apps on the BlackBerry Z30. Aloysius Low/CNET

BlackBerry is placing its last hopes on Android, though not in the way you think. Instead of incorporating Android into its smartphones, the company's forthcoming 10.2.1 update to its BlackBerry operating system will support native Android apps.

And to make sure that it has enough applications for its users, the company has been approaching developers to upload their apps to a new section on its online app store, BlackBerry World.

The news comes from a report from Web site Good e-Reader, which claims to have spoken to at least four different game developers at CES last week to obtain this information.

Could the addition of Android apps be enough to save the ailing smartphone maker? We'll find out after the firmware is released -- hopefully sooner, rather than later.

This story originally appeared as "Report: Android apps will soon be accepted on BlackBerry World" on CNET Asia

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