If you’re a developer porting Android apps to the BlackBerry PlayBook and you’re happy with the fact that you got the RIM slate for free, know that there’s a bit of a downside when working with the Canadian company. It appears that in the Android apps ported to the PlayBook you won’t be able to include ads, the main source of revenue for devs relying on this platform.
The info comes from GigaOm, quoting a RIM representative. This means that devs won’t make money through their ported app, which is logical when you think that a large part of the revenue in Android Market is driven by advertising. In-app purchases, another popular revenue stream are also out of the question of the same PlayBook. Without their source of income, devs will have to offer the apps for free or charge the needed cash directly. Meanwhile, the BlackBerry PlayBook is struggling to keep up with the competition, with a very appealing price in all shops and an upcoming software update to PlayBook OS 2.0.
This new OS will bring the Android App Player and it’s seen as the savior of the tablet. The question is: will it deliver? I guess we’ll find out at Mobile World Congress 2012, or sooner…
