BlackBerry 10 is still a ways away (exactly how long is a topic of hot debate) but RIM has been busy laying the groundwork for it for months now. Aspiring BB10 developers have seen that work firsthand, and now it’s apparently their turn to contribute.
RIM announced earlier today that developers can up submit their BlackBerry 10 apps for inclusion in the company’s App World when the new platform launches in Q1 2013. Even though the company plans to out both full-touch and QWERTY keyboard-packing BB10 devices, these first submissions are strictly for touch-only apps.
Frankly, it’s about time RIM pulled the trigger on this. There’s no doubt about it — RIM needs as many quality developers as it can get its metaphorical hands on, and the company hasn’t been shy about incentivizing the development process. Sure, free Dev Alpha hardware is a nice touch (the company has seeded a total of around 12,000 test devices, 6,000 of which were doled out during RIM’s developer-centric world tour), but there are even juicier carrots being dangled in front of developers.
The biggest perk for developing a BB10 app? Guaranteed money. RIM announced earlier this year that developers who took the plunge would make at least $10,000 in app revenue in its first year in the BlackBerry App World, and that RIM itself would pay the difference if a developer’s product didn’t quite hit the mark. It’s a gutsy move for sure, and probably one that will result in a decent number of apps ready come BlackBerry 10 launch day, but the bigger question is whether or not RIM and its newfangled platform can maintain that level of developer support without having to sign any more checks.