BlackBerry Getting an iPhone-like App Store

Over the past days, much information about Research in Motion's (RIM) plans for the upcoming BlackBerry Storm/Thunder touchscreen smartphone has been leaked. The latest item has been some details and screenshots of the BlackBerry Application Center, a software store made for the new smartphone which will make it easier to find third-party applications.

Compared to Apple's iTunes App Store, the BlackBerry Application Center will be a carrier-supported feature where carriers will be responsible for hosting application data and then submitting it to RIM, who will then make it available for the correct devices.

Other features of this new application repository reportedly will include:

• The main application screen will only show software compatible with that specific device and carrier
• Applications will have viewable descriptions and a one-click download feature
• In addition to previewing and installing, users will also be able to delete installed applications
• The initial release of the BlackBerry Application Center will leverage the BlackBerry web browser and will therefore not have download management/restarting features
• The default setting will be to check for application updates daily

According to CrackBerry.com, the BlackBerry Application Center will only be compatible with Storm/Thunder models and the 4.7 version of the BlackBerry operating system.

No information about revenue sharing with carriers or how developers will be able to submit their applications for inclusion is currently available on the BlackBerry Application Center. However, the BlackBerry Developer Conference, which occurs October 22-25, might shed light on the latter.

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Via CrackBerry.com, Yahoo News