It’s now been officially announced that the Blackberry PlayBook will in fact be host to Google’s Android apps.
After much speculation since rumours emerged in February, the Google platform is set to appear on RIM’s first tablet outing when released on April 19th in the United States, and will open up potential for the multimedia focused gadget to a full range of Android applications.
Exciting news for not only the app user but also for developers looking to distribute their wares, the Blackberry tablet will give a whole lot more coverage to publishers. Just think how many users will now have access to the Android range of apps.
The official word from RIM says “Developers currently building for the BlackBerry or Android platforms will be able to quickly and easily port their apps to run on the BlackBerry Tablet OS thanks to a high degree of API compatibility” adding “The new optional app players will be available for download from BlackBerry App World and will be placed in a secure ‘sandbox’ on the BlackBerry PlayBook where the BlackBerry Java or Android apps can be run.”
Becoming available through the existing Blackberry App World, with apps for the Android platform becoming fully available around summer time, this will bring over 200,000 additional apps to the Blackberry Playbook.
With Android overtaking Blackberry’s own platform it’s not surprising for RIM to welcome this union. So we must now wonder – will mobile users have to wait long for their own version of the Google platform to hit?
You can share your comments and thoughts on this or any of our other blog articles at the official Gadget Helpline Facebook Page!