BlackBerry’s BBM service shocked the world when it finally went cross-platform last month. While many thought it would be dead on arrival, the app rocketed to No. 1 on the iPhone download charts and brought 20 million new users to the BBM platform within a week. BBM’s stunning success continued and in perhaps the most shocking of all early reports about BlackBerry’s new BBM efforts, the app’s engagement levels appear to be beating rivals. Downloads have slowed substantially since BBM debuted in October and the app is sinking fast, currently holding the No. 76 position on the top free iPhone app chart in the U.S. That position could soon get a boost, however, as BlackBerry makes its popular new BBM app available on Wi-Fi only iPads and iPod touch devices for the first time.
UPDATE: BlackBerry has confirmed to BGR that the BBM update described within is indeed being released on Thursday.
BlackBerry on Thursday is expected to release an update to its iOS BBM app that adds compatibility with the iPod touch and Apple’s Wi-Fi iPad lineup. Sort of.
Where the iPad is concerned, BBM head Andrew Bocking apparently confirmed to SlashGear that the app will work with Wi-Fi only tablets now but it’s not an app designed for tablets. Instead, Wi-Fi iPad owners will now be able to use the iPhone version of BBM, which cellular iPad users have been able to do since the app first launched. It’s certainly not optimal, but it will have to suffice — BlackBerry apparently doesn’t even have an iPad version of the app in development, according to the report.
Exact release timing is unknown right now, but the update is expected to be released sometime on Thursday.
