BlackBerry Confirms BBM Release Dates For Android & iOS [Update]

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BlackBerry has finally provided us with launch dates for its new BBM apps for Android and iOS. Just as we expected, the popular messaging service will reach Google Play first on Saturday, September 21 — before popping up in the App Store just a day later on Sunday, September 22.

BlackBerry first announced that it would be making BBM a cross-platform messaging service back in May, but the Canadian company has remained typically quiet about its public launch ever since — despite lots of interest from fans, some of whom have been downloading fake BBM apps from Google Play after mistaking them for the real thing.

Back in August, BlackBerry first started seeding BBM beta releases to selected testers on Android and iOS, and official BBM users guides for these platforms were leaked later that month. A BBM APK for Android was also leaked last week, but as things stand, only those selected by BlackBerry are able to login to it.

But now we’re just a day away from its official release on Android. BBM will be compatible with smartphones running Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and above, and you’ll find it in Google Play from 7 a.m. EDT on Saturday. Those with an iPhone will need iOS 6 or later, and you’ll be able to download BBM from 12:01 a.m. local time on Sunday.

Features will include traditional BBM chat, group messaging with up to 30 friends, and support for profiles and status updates. You’ll get a BBM PIN — just like BlackBerry users — which means you don’t have to give out your phone number or email address if you don’t want to.

UPDATE: It appears BBM didn’t arrive on Android when it was scheduled to. Due to a leaked version of the APK, BlackBerry has had to put the entire launch on hold — for iPhone users, too.