BlackBerry Messenger is a success, which means it's prime time to start installing it on phones whether or not their users actually want it.
LG and BlackBerry have announced that the BBM app will come pre-loaded onto LG phones out of the box, starting with the LG G Pro Lite.
BlackBerry Messenger launched in full for iOS and Android in October, and BlackBerry said it was downloaded more than 10 million times in the first 24 hours.
Apparently, people like the messenger app - this announcement with LG also noted that it's extremely popular in the Middle East, Africa and Indonesia.
Global messaging
"People across the globe are using BBM to connect with each other and the enthusiasm has been phenomenal," BlackBerry Executive Vice President for BBM Andrew Bocking said in the announcement.
BlackBerry announced in November that BBM would begin to come pre-loaded onto smartphones in Africa, India, Indonesia, Latin America and the Middle East, though only on regional OEMs initially.
LG is the first major OEM to give BBM the same treatment, and it's likely more will follow.
BBM voice and video are coming
BBM arrives pre-loaded first on the LG G Pro Lite, though other LG phones will definitely follow.
The 5.5-inch, dual-SIM LG phone provides "an optimized BBM experience," today's announcement said, thanks to its high-quality display and included stylus.
The existing BBM app features one-on-one and group messaging, plus photo, file and voice note sharing.
BlackBerry promised that its Messenger app will "continue to evolve for Android and iPhone users" and re-iterated that BBM voice and video calling will arrive "in the coming months."
The same goes for BBM Channels, a new service that "intimately" connects BBM users to communities with shared interests. BBM Channels is already available on BlackBerry 10 devices, and should arrive on Android and iOS soon.
