BlackBerry 10 Android Runtime To be Upgraded to Android 4.1

BlackBerry announced impending updates to its developer toolkit today at its BlackBerry Jam Europe event, which includes an update to the OS's Android runtime.

BlackBerry 10 features a built-in Android emulator to run apps ported over from Android -- in fact, roughly 40% of the 70,000 apps currently listed in BlackBerry App word are Android apps. Previously, the emulator was at Android 2.3.3, aka Gingerbread. But with the recent update, the runtime is going to be changed to version 4.1, aka Jelly Bean.

This update will, of course, allow developers to port their apps that are only supported by Android version 4.0 and later to the BlackBerry 10 platform. No word yet on the exact timing of the update's release, however.

BlackBerry also announced from the event that it would be introducing a preview version of the BlackBerry 10.1 native SDK for the upcoming BlackBerry Q10 smartphone, which is due out in the U.S. in April. The new SDK will help developers optimize their apps for the Q10's somewhat unusual display resolution (720 x 720) and its physical QWERTY keyboard.

Source: Phonescoop