BlackBerry announced today that it will be launching a version of its BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) app for Android phones this Saturday, and for Apple iOS on Sunday.

The instant messaging app has been tremendously popular in Qatar in years past, with breaking news – and rumors – often spreading faster on BBM than on Twitter and Facebook or more traditional media channels.

But Apple’s and Google’s platforms have been fast eroding that market share, with many here switching over to services like WhatsApp and Kik, among others.

The BBM app for Android and iOS will be free and available via their respective app stores, the company said. The new launch follows on a recent reboot of BlackBerry’s operating system to compete with Google and Apple. 

What do you think — will you BBM without a BlackBerry? Or is it too little, too late?

Credit: Image via BlackBerry