Research In Motion officially unveiled BlackBerry App World, a new on-device application storefront promising a broad cross-section of personal and business applications for BlackBerry smartphones with a trackball or touchscreen running BlackBerry device software 4.2 or higher. Available now for consumers in the U.S., U.K. and Canada, with additional international markets scheduled to follow, BlackBerry App World is designed to automatically spotlight relevant premium and free applications according to each individual user's respective BlackBerry device model. Each week, the Front Page Carousel feature will showcase a suite of new apps, complementing the list of Top Downloads. In addition to user reviews, complete screenshots, and app descriptions, the store will enable BlackBerry users to recommend applications to contacts via email, PIN, text message or BlackBerry Messenger.
RIM will break down BlackBerry App World downloads into 13 categories: Entertainment, Games, Maps and Navigation, Music and Video, News and Weather, Personal Health and Wellness, Personal Finance and Banking, Productivity and Utilities, Professional and Business, Reference and eBooks, Social Networking and Sharing, Sports and Recreation, and Travel. Users can access the store via cellular and WiFi networks. BlackBerry App World also will include My World, a personal storage space that keeps track of all the user's downloads to date, offering uninstall and re-install tools and premium application transfers.
RIM adds that BlackBerry App World will offer about 1,000 applications at launch. Confirmed contributors include Bloomberg, Clear Channel, Gameloft, Lonely Planet, MTV Networks, The New York Times, Pandora, Shazam, Slacker, Vligo and WorldMate. The device manufacturer's president and co-CEO, Mike Lazaridis, is scheduled to offer additional details on BlackBerry App Store later today when he keynotes the CTIA Wireless 2009 event in Las Vegas.
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