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RIM to update Android app side-loading for BlackBerry PlayBook

Update promised for the BlackBerry faithful as confusing tweet is cleared up

Dan Grabham Dan Grabham

RIM has confirmed that it will be updating the BlackBerry PlayBook‘s Android app side-loading feature to offer better protection for developers, by only letting users who purchased their apps to install them on the tablet.

This latest confirmation follows speculation that RIM would be pulling Android app support altogether, thanks to a tweet from RIM’s VP of Developer Relations Alec Saunders who stated that “Piracy is a huge problem for Android devs, and we don’t want to duplicate the chaotic cesspool of Android market”.

The tweet in question caused quite a stir, leading people to believe that Android app side-loading (one of the PlayBook’s key features) would be dropped.

All was cleared up in a blog post however, which revealed that the tweet was merely referring to an upgrade of features as opposed to their deletion.

Good news then, for PlayBook owners and Android developers alike. Here’s hoping that the future update will increase the number of Android apps available on the Playbook – for the sake of both RIM and the BlackBerry faithful.

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Profile image of Dan Grabham Dan Grabham Editor-in-Chief

About

Dan is Editor-in-chief of Stuff, working across the magazine and the Stuff.tv website.  Our Editor-in-Chief is a regular at tech shows such as CES in Las Vegas, IFA in Berlin and Mobile World Congress in Barcelona as well as at other launches and events. He has been a CES Innovation Awards judge. Dan is completely platform agnostic and very at home using and writing about Windows, macOS, Android and iOS/iPadOS plus lots and lots of gadgets including audio and smart home gear, laptops and smartphones. He's also been interviewed and quoted in a wide variety of places including The Sun, BBC World Service, BBC News Online, BBC Radio 5Live, BBC Radio 4, Sky News Radio and BBC Local Radio.

Areas of expertise

Computing, mobile, audio, smart home