BBM For Android Might Grab Bigger Market Share Than iPhone App, Find Out Why

Apparently, BlackBerry is already testing its BBM for iPhone and Android mobile applications, and based on leaks posted online, it is possible that the messaging service’s expansion to other platforms is near-ready ahead of the rumored September release date. Of course, the question remains, can BlackBerry generate bigger revenue than rivals WhatsApp or Line and bag the messaging market share lead? Based on multiple data provided by research firms and monthly active usage on both Android and iPhone, it is possible that BBM will bag the word “success” on Android than on iPhone despite the fact that apps available on Apple’s mobile operating system are capable of generating bigger revenue than on Android. The main reason why BBM for Android will be more successful than BBM for iPhone is the fact that Android doesn’t currently have a “standout” native messaging service.

Sorry Google, but the new Hangouts which replaced Google Talk is still far from perfect despite Google’s efforts. Google’s “Plus” messaging service also failed to beat Facebook’s instant messaging service mainly due to lower adoption rate and the lack of Google Plus market share that could produce more exchanges and engagement. On Android, BBM might take over and lure more customers, in fact, some research firms suggested that many Android users are former (or current) users of BlackBerry devices. It would be a safe bet that these current or old BlackBerry owners will use BBM for Android more often, with more engagement compared to iPhone users who are more loyal to Apple’s products and services.

Secondly, Apple is already offering a near-perfect messaging system, the iMessage. Unlike Google’s instant messaging service, iMessage is baked within the messaging service app of Cupertino’s mobile operating system which is a more intuitive structure than Google’s multiple messaging apps strategy. And on iOS, top third-party messaging apps also started making some bold moves to stop BBM’s plan to steal customers. WhatsApp recently switched from paid to free on first year model, similar to Android, while Line added more “stickers” to lure paying customers.

It’s still to early to tell if BBM for Android will add more BBM users than its iOS counterpart, but based on today’s market, it looks like BlackBerry will need additional effort to attract iOS users.