There is no question that we BlackBerry users are at a disadvantage when it comes applications as compared to users of other smartphone platforms like the iPhone and Android. The list of reasons that this is the case is long and, at the end of the day, RIM has simply got to do better when it comes to BlackBerry applications. There are,however, several BlackBerry applications that should have been developed and released a long time ago, and, I personally am just plain tired of waiting on them…
LinkedIn for BlackBerry
I know that LinkedIn for BlackBerry is currently being worked on and only has been in the “coming soon” category since last November, but, this is an application that should have come out a long time ago.
For those of you not familiar with LinkedIn, think Facebook for business professionals. My guess is just about every BlakBerry touting LinkedIn member that logs in more than once per week would download LinkedIn for BlackBerry.
Release the dang thing already!
SlingPlayer Mobile For BlackBerry Storm
I know making an application for BlackBerry devices with keyboards and then remaking the same application for the Storm and Storm2 can be a chore, but, c’mon SlingMedia. It makes no for there still to be no SlingPlayer Mobile for the BlackBerry Storm.
I would argue the the BlackBerry to give users the most enjoyable viewing experience is the Storm or Storm2. I can’t speak for everyone one a SlingBox and a BlackBerry Storm, but, there is no question that you would get another $30 out of me if you just released SlingPlayer Mobile for the BlackBerry Storm.
Social Scope
Many would argue that the best BlackBerry Twitter application out there is the one that you cannot get. Social Scope has been in a state of perpetual closed beta for what seems like forever. Many of the BlackBerry users accepted into the Social Scope beta program can’t get the latest version of the beta, which from what I am told is the best Twitter application, bar none.I am beginning to wonder if Social Scope has missed it’s window to become a huge success because there are several free BlackBerry Twitter clients that are, not only free, but quite good.
Just off the top of my head I can think of dozens on BlackBerry applications that should exist, but, don’t. To new a few more there is TweetDeck for BlackBerry, Xobni for BlackBerry, Gowalla for BlackBerry, etc, etc, etc. I know that there are many more that I am not thinking of, so, I you have a BlackBerry application that you are tired of waiting on, let us know about it in the comments.
How about the new BlackBerry Browser?
I’d like to see a better Google Voice client…
Yes, the new browser and how bout a guitar app! Gibson has a great one!…
For Iphone only! C’mon RIM! You WILL lose marketshare if there’s no changes!
How about a weather app that changes the home screen icon to show the weather, so you don’t have to click on it unless you need more information and detail??
Try http://store.rimarkable.com/product.asp?id=27173&n=BerryWeather
I bought (on sale) for 5 bucks… reg price is $10.
Good application. You can have the current weather as your wallpaper.
I think we are still waiting for a decent Facebook app…. And A good youtube app
And a good browser…. Wow we really are a patient lot….. Lol….
Robb:
As you know, Xobni is in limited beta testing now. We are still accepting users into our beta, so please feel free to head to http://xobni.com/mobile to sign-up. Certainly we would have loved to get our app out earlier, but we are trying to do something that has not been done before, and making it work well is deceivingly complicated, particularly, I think, for the BlackBerry platform. More is possible in terms of integration, and so more work has to be done to make sure it is done well…at least from Xobni’s perspective.
Anyway, appreciate your thoughts and I am glad we are getting so close to the finish line for our first public BlackBerry release.
Jeff Bonforte
CEO, Xobni
I don’t know. From where I sit, the apps aren’t that important and, to be honest, most folks who are buying Blackberrys don’t care about apps either. After all, the purpose for Blackberrys is work plus a little consumer stuff. Unless you are really tech savvy or just into apps, the lack of apps isn’t a major factor.
I’m more tech-savvy than the average cellphone user and even I use just four or five apps, notably Bolt (for the Browser), UberTwitter and Poynt (which is awesome). All the other apps are just kiddie toys to me or do little for my own organizing needs. I personally wish RIM supported Flash long ago, but a lot of people hate Flash, so the lack of Flash support is as much a selling point for the average person as a detraction.
So, before we make these grandiloquent judgments about RIM and apps, lets look outside our tech-savvy circles and think about the rest of the population. I noticed the other night that at least eight people on my Metro train owned Blackberrys; another five owned iPhones and only a few owned Android phones. All this is anecdotal, of course, but the lack of apps isn’t exactly a detraction for the average person at this point.
“From where I sit, the apps aren’t that important”
… That is about the dumbest thing that I’ve ever heard. Most people that buy lackberrys don’t care about about apps because the lackberry has no apps worth caring about.
I am waiting for a VoIP/SIP app
I agree that most BB users aren’t that interested in browsing catalogs of gimmicky apps. My son has the I touch and has dozens of cool apps that I check out once and have no further interest in. How often do you really want to hear how many kinds of farts exist? It seems to me the BB crowd is interested mostly in productive functionality with maybe a few toys for those times when you’re stuck in a plane or airport at three in the morning and have already spent six hours catching up on email and project deadlines. My BB is primarily a communication tool. I have plenty of “toys” that are pure in their design for fun without compromising functionality to fit into an OS not designed for recreational use.