Netflix unlikely to develop BlackBerry 10 app anytime soon, report says

By Trevor Mogg March 5, 2013

In order to become the number three platform in the mobile market after iOS and Android, BlackBerry really doesn’t want to see too many more instances of big-name companies pulling back from developing an app for its recently-launched BB10 platform.

With this in mind, news this week that Netflix has apparently said it has no plans to create an app for BB10 is certain to come as a blow to the Ontario-based mobile maker.

An unnamed Netflix spokesperson reportedly told AllThingsD that the streaming video service has “no current plans for a BlackBerry app” – native or port. Of course, such a comment leaves the door open for the possibility of an app at some point, but for the time being at least, it doesn’t look like it’s going to happen.

While it’s true to say that most Netflix members still opt for the big screen when it comes to watching content – meaning the lack of a mobile app may not be too much of an issue for many BB10 users – the presence of a Netflix app would still benefit BlackBerry in that it’d be able to inspire confidence in developers thinking about creating for the platform by saying, “Look at all the big-name apps we already have! Come join the BB10 party!” Or words to that effect….

Last month photo-sharing company Instagram also reportedly said it had no immediate plans to create a native app for BB10, though it is apparently working on a port of the Android version.

Once BlackBerry 10 becomes more widely available – the US launch of the touchscreen-only Z10 device is set for this month, with the QWERTY-touch hybrid Q10 following a couple of months later – the mobile maker will be hoping to see its BB10 user base grow fast, at which point companies like Netflix and Instagram may well be persuaded to invest resources in developing native apps for the platform.

BlackBerry 10 launched with around 70,000 apps in its BlackBerry World store, though a good many of these are Android ports, which means in some cases the user experience may not be as smooth as you’d get with a native app.

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