RIM previews upcoming BlackBerry App World 2.0 beta, introduces carrier billing, BlackBerry ID, more
Research in Motion’s BlackBerry App World brought the popular line of business smartphones into the business of mobile apps early last year. This week, the company unveiled App World 2.0, which introduces a number of new features that improve the user experience.
One of the problems with App World was that the only way you could buy apps was with a PayPal account. Following the 2.0 update, users will have the option to bill app purchases to their wireless carrier’s calling plan, or to directly charge to a credit card.
“BlackBerry ID” is another new advancement included in the App World update. Something like an iTunes account, this ID is simply a user’s master account for App World which lets users easily re-install apps or migrate them from one device to another. The ID is not associated with a particular device, but is instead linked to a user’s “My World”
Like the Android Market, BlackBerry App World will also incorporate QR barcodes into app profiles. With these, users can simply click “Scan a Barcode” in App World, and point their BlackBerry camera at an optical pattern which loads up an application’s profile or triggers a download.
The new app store is not available to consumers yet, but it is expected to launch in beta soon.
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