Some might argue BBM is not an app because it comes preinstalled with the OS. That’s like saying ‘Maps’ is not an app on android or iOS (iPhone/iPad) because it is there by default. Please.

The Blackberry messenger, which is the only reason a lot of people are still using RIM’s albeit outdated handsets, is our application of the month on aIRplaY.

BBM – as it is called by many of it’s fans all over the world – is an app that lets you connect to other Blackberry users around the globe (with a data connection of course). It lets you add contacts using a set of alphanumeric characters unique to every device. Its commonly reffered to as the Blackberry Pin or BB Pin for short. – think of it like a MAC address for the Blackberry. Name, email, phone number or even pin barcode could also be used. Once the contact is added, you can begin your endless addiction to the physical qwerty keypad which is RIM’s.

You can put your contacts into different categories for organisation purposes; say you want to separate work contacts from family members. BBM allows you to create groups, join groups etc. It works just like any other messenger would – allowing you to attach files from your device, send pictures, voice notes, and even contact details across to other parties. You can change your profile picture (in this case display picture or DP. Fans), your status, and there’s room for a personal message. It also has an option that allows you to show what you are listening to so people on your contacts list can tell whenever you fire up Maroon 5’s ‘She will be loved’.

In all, BBM is just another messenger app. Some people even prefer Yahoo! Messenger to it. The major reason it is our app of the month is it’s exclusivity. For now, it is available only on Blackberry devices and it has done a pretty good job in keeping people hooked. From CEOs of Fortune 500 companies to teenagers in the middle east, BBM has found a way to keep the Blackberry a relevant player in an ever changing world of technology and innovation.

So recently I graduated from college; not with the kind of grades you would hope for, but good enough for one to be thankful he’s out of school :). During the entire grad period, I noticed almost (and I mean almost) everyone I knew – friends or otherwise – had one type of Blackberry or the other. I was privileged to handle and mess around with a Storm2, a Bold2, one type of Curve and a Javelin. And I gotta tell ya, I still haven’t seen the wow factor. RIM, the company that owns the Blackberry lines of Smartphones are going through their record books right now and wondering what exactly they did right this time to have made so much money in this part of the world in such little time. Over the past year (or so) there has been an influx of Blackberry devices in Nigeria in particular and the major reason being because of the Blackberry service that allows the owners communicate for ‘free’ among other Blackberry owners across the globe. This is a major perk that still drives a lot of people towards the BB market; matter of fact it’s so crazy right now that people don’t even bother asking you if you have a BB all they want is your pin: “Abeg wetin be you pin?” …[reply] “Uh, dude… I don’t even own a Blackberry!” A lot of consumers have acquired the phone without considering the cost of managing the device. Before the Blackberry service can be active, on has to have a data plan which requires you pay a monthly subscription to your service provider. The average price range is within the N5,000 range which is equivalent to about N60,000 a year. This might not sound like much but when you realize that’s how much you’re spending just to chat, it might get frustrating. It is easy to argue that the Blackberry has a web browser and other social networking apps like the facebook app and the twitter app etc. but one should also consider the user experience with these other devices. I could ping or get pinged all day on my BB without any complaints. But sorry to say, I would rather surf the web, read blogs and check e-mail on my HTC HD2 or my iPod touch [not saying I have both :(]. This is mainly because of the user experience involved. In this day in age where touch-screen smart phones are a way to go because of their landscape keyboard that gives less room for error while typing (don’t even mention the Storm here) and the joy of pinch-and-zoom to zoom into web pages enabling easy reading of the print, I think I’m better of without a pin! The Blackberry devices are a good set of Smartphones that have a budding application store (nothing compared to Apple’s AppStore or the Android Marketplace) and a decent keyboard that takes some getting used to depending on what kind of keyboard you are coming from. The concept behind ‘pinging’ is kinda cool but there’s more to smartphones and mobile devices than just instant messaging. Finally, I don’t see me getting a Blackberry except it has a fully functional landscape keyboard (screw that haptic feedback crap), a motherload of applications and a more dynamic user interface. Then I might consider not getting the HTC EVO 4G or the iPhone 4 or the Droid/Droid X or the HTC Desire or the HTC Incredible or any other smartphone that’s not a BB. NB: All company names and products mentioned here are properties of the individual or organization. All rights remain reserved.