RIM’s PlayBook tablet rumoured to support Android apps

BlackBerry makers, RIM are rumoured to be entering into a partnership with Google to produce apps for RIM’s upcoming PlayBook tablet.

The slightly bizarre move could turn out to be a masterstroke on the part of the Canadian firm, whose App World app market has been criticised for not offering users enough choice.

To understand these criticisms it is worth noting that, while RIM is currently offering over 20,000 apps to its customers, Google’s Android Market now offers their customers over 200,000. A merger would certainly prove attractive to prospective PlayBook consumers.

However not everyone is convinced by the move; Stuart Dredge, writing for the Guardian, expressed his concern that this move towards convergence with Android would make RIM appear even weaker in the app stakes, and further discourage developers from aiming their apps at RIM devices:

“The risk, though, is that this might give many developers a new reason not to develop native BlackBerry apps,” he wrote. “[They may decide to] focus instead on iOS, android and Windows Phone, in the knowledge that the Android version will work on BlackBerry devices too.”

Dredge went on to speculate on RIM’s stratagem for the merger, stating the possibility that RIM may adopt a war of attrition stance on the app market front, developing a “premium tier of [exclusive] ‘Super Apps’, supported by a wide base of Android apps”.

The merger is still fresh off the press of the rumour mill at the moment, and nothing is confirmed. However, if it does prove to be true, it could be critical to the performance of the PlayBook on its release into the tablet market.

Similar Stories

• Apple are rumoured to be responsible for RIM PlayBook delay
• Lenovo launches its LePad tablet in China