It is no secret that RIM is gunning for its revamped BlackBerry OS to occupy third place among mobile platforms (behind iOS and Android). To this end, the struggling company -- in particular Alec Saunders, RIM VP of Developer Relations -- has been making a strong push to lure developers in droves. While we can't say yet whether the masses are buying in, we can say that, so far, BlackBerry 10 has a good head start in the app department.
Around 70,000 apps are reported to be available for BlackBerry 10 from the BlackBerry World store now. Of these, perhaps the most important titles include Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Foursquare. These are major titles that a lot of mobile users lean on, and without these big names, some might be wary of adopting RIM's revamped platform. What's more, I've tried the apps, and they look great and perform smoothly.
But of course, these big four aren't the only downloads coming to BlackBerry 10. Some of the more recognizable names already available or well on their way include:
- Skype (iOS | Android)
- Rdio (iOS | Android)
- Whatsapp Messenger (iOS | Android)
- ESPN ScoreCenter (iOS | Android)
- Cisco WebEx (iOS | Android)
- Evernote (iOS | Android)
- SoundHound (iOS | Android)
- The Weather Channel (iOS | Android)
- Box (iOS | Android)
- Dropbox (iOS | Android)
- Flixster (iOS | Android)
- Slacker Radio (iOS | Android)
- TuneIn Radio (iOS | Android)
- Paper Camera (iOS | Android)
Also, even though BlackBerry has never been known as a preferred platform for game enthusiasts, many users should be happy to know that some big-name game developers are porting their apps over:
With these developers onboard, BlackBerry 10 adopters will get to enjoy favorites like Angry Birds, Cut the Rope, Jetpack Joyride, Fruit Ninja, Modern Combat 4, Plants vs. Zombies, and more. However, conspicuously missing from the list of game-developer partners is Zynga, which could leave fans of the "With Friends" series of word games unsatisfied. Keep in mind, though, this list will only continue to grow.