Despite rumors to the contrary as well as high Windows Phone user demand, it looks as though those on Microsoft’s mobile OS will have to keep waiting for their BBM fix on Windows Phone 8.
BlackBerry has apparently decided to throw a monkey wrench into the hopes and dreams of many a Windows Phone user, and has played the tired “lack of consumer demand” card as its reasoning, which also means that it’s not out of the realm of possibility, just one that isn’t likely to happen for awhile.
BBM cites “lack of consumer demand” as reasoning for not supporting Windows Phone
“Our initial launch on iOS and Android was a function of the prevalence of those platforms,” explained David Proulx, BlackBerry’s Senior Director of BBM Business Development.
BBM gained 20 million users within the first week of its availability, but it remains a secret just how many of those users are “registered” and how many are “active.” The active number is, of course, a better representation of how well each calling and messaging app is doing. WhatsApp, for instance, surpassed 400 million active users, not just registered users, late last month.
BBM currently fifth most demanded feature by Windows Phone users
The number of signatures from users demanding BBM for Windows Phone currently stands at 39,900. If nearly 40,000 users — putting it in the five most demanded features for Windows Phone — isn’t user demand, I don’t know what is.