RIM's Newer Phones To Get Android Apps: Report

BlackBerry maker Research In Motion is planning for its newer models of smartphones, expected next year, to run applications designed for Google Inc's Android operating system, a Bloomberg report said, citing people familiar with the plan.

RIM's newer phones, expected to work on its yet-to-be-launched QNX operating system, will be compatible with the Android software, the report said, citing unnamed sources. RIM may come out with a PlayBook upgrade for the Android later this year, the report also said.

The Canadian company plans to have the Android player already in the QNX-running phones when they go on sale rather than available as an upgrade, the report said. RIM and Google could not be reached immediately for a comment on the report. Apple Inc's iPhone and devices powered by Google's Android software have steadily eroded BlackBerry's U.S. market share. Android smart phones have surpassed iPhones in popularity as the Google software powers the main handsets of manufacturers such as Samsung Electronics Co Ltd , HTC Corp and Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc . Consumers were activating more than half a million Android devices every day, Google said in late June.

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