BlackBerry 10 nets 15,000 apps in under two days
The company hosts two simultaneous Portathons, asking BlackBerry and Android developers to port their previously written applications to BlackBerry 10.
Research In Motion's BlackBerry 10 application marketplace will have thousands of more programs, thanks to two events the company ran over the weekend.
The events saw RIM net 15,000 app submissions for BlackBerry 10 within a period of 37.5 hours, according to Alec Saunders, vice president of developer relations. The events were called Portathons, with one focusing on the BlackBerry 10 Community and the other on Android developers. In both cases, developers were urged to port their previously developed applications to BlackBerry 10.
RIM has held similar events in the past. The company does so to get developers working with other platforms -- especially Android -- to bring their programs to its upcoming operating system. To get more developers to participate, RIM offers them $100 per approved app. Those who get several apps approved will receive the cash prize and a BlackBerry 10 Dev Alpha device.
RIM has made it clear that it's betting big on BlackBerry 10. The operating system, which has been in the works for years, will finally launch at the end of the month. It's expected to be RIM's best competitor yet to Android and Apple's iOS. RIM hopes the launch will help reestablish its brand in the mobile market.
RIM will likely have a long way to go to catch Apple and Google in total apps available for its platform. Last week, Apple announced that its App Store now has 775,000 applications available. Google Play has around the same figure. Although 15,000 apps in under two days is notable and although RIM will likely have a large number of programs at launch, it could take a long time before it matches its chief competitors.
(Via The Verge)