Video: Thought Process Behind Building a BlackBerry Super App Using New Twitter App as an Example
At Mobile World Congress in Barcelona last week RIM brought forth the notion of "Super Apps" to the smartphone world. It wasn't that RIM introduced any new apps here, but defined what makes a smartphone application great and cited some examples of existing BlackBerry apps that fit that description: Poynt, eBay for BlackBerry, 7Digital Music Store, Facebook, the in-beta Twitter client, etc.. Some of the charateristics that take an app to the level of super app are as follows:
- The Always on Experience
- Tight Integration with the Native BlackBerry Apps
- Proactive and Notification-driven
- Highly Contextualized
- Social and Connected
- Designed for Efficiency
During the BlackBerry Developer Day at App Planet, this idea of building super apps was extended upon and I caught on video Chris Smith walking through the thought process RIM went through in building their new Twitter for BlackBerry Smartphones client. Chris is the Senior Director of the BlackBerry Development Platform for RIM. The key to Chris' presentation here is not here's what we did to build a great twitter app but the message is for developers to approach their own ideas, whatever they may be, with this thought process that will really uncover way to build an app experience that is tightly and fully integrated with the BlackBerry experience, making a super app experience for the end user that is greater than they will find anywhere else.
It's an interesting video and one that all mobile developers should definitely watch. To learn more about BlackBerry Super Apps, you can check out RIM's page on Super Apps. What I'm waiting see next are Super Duper Apps. I'm thinking a Super Duper App takes the definition of Super App and adds to it the ability to save/run the apps from the MicroSD card so they can be HUGE in filesize and therefore extremely pretty with tons of nice graphics and video. The best of both worlds combined.
netposer#cb Feb 22, 2010 at 11:32 am
And RIMs browser is SuperShitty.
afropoika Feb 22, 2010 at 11:39 am
Interesting, but this concept should have taken off way earlier. Waiting for BlackBerry Super App World.
chilywilly Feb 22, 2010 at 11:42 am
anybody else think this dude looks a little like Elliot Spitzer?
and i can't decide if I even want a twitter. i might get one
just for this app
mpscan Feb 22, 2010 at 12:00 pm
Facebook? They're going to use that piece of crap application as an example? It's bloated, never works, always has issues, doesn't get notifications.
I have never seen such a poory designed mobile application in my life... and don't give me that it's Facebook itself, because just spend 5 minutes with the iPhone Facebook app and you'll see just how crappy the BlackBerry one is!
beamolite Feb 22, 2010 at 12:27 pm
I agree with you the Facebook for BlackBerry is crap but I hear the Facebook app for the Android platform is much worse.
estarno Feb 22, 2010 at 12:02 pm
Such useless crap after useless crap after useless crap. BlackBerries are good for 2 things- Phone and Email. It's not an iPhone to play around with stupid apps and games, sorry.
iLovemy_bb Feb 22, 2010 at 12:13 pm
We've known super apps for a while now. We need super duper nowadays.
SlimGuy78 Feb 22, 2010 at 12:21 pm
Now all they need to do is approach facebook the same way maybe even a FB chat inside the IM folder !
StormJH1 Feb 22, 2010 at 1:14 pm
It was a bad idea to "announce" a concept like Super Apps for the first time alongside other new projects, such as WebKit. It's a bad PR idea in general to try and attach a new label to something consumers ALREADY HAVE to try and make them feel better about it. Yes, I was aware that Poynt and Facebook app are integrated with other BB functions. I want to know how they (or other NEW apps) will be integrated better in the future.
When I heard read his six-point description of what a Super App is, I felt like they should've added the 7th bullet point, which is "Drains overall system functioning". Because if you're selling point is that something like Facebook or iTookThisonMyPhone is "always on", the downside to that is that it's creating more and more hoops for the user and the device RAM to jump through.
jorGeorge Feb 22, 2010 at 1:18 pm
Poynt is the only deserving app on that list.
danielcj Feb 22, 2010 at 1:38 pm
and..Poynt doesn't work all that well either mainly because of the the 'Searching for GPS..' part.
taggs34 Feb 22, 2010 at 2:43 pm
I'm waiting on the HTC Incredible to come out then making a decision to go with that or the Nexus One. Google and HTC seems to be more in line with what consumers want and HTC seems to build a better phone.
Jimberry Storm Feb 23, 2010 at 9:13 am
I was ready to leave a comment saying they should focus on making room for regular apps. before making super apps. but you beat me to the punch