Instagram for Android application ported to BlackBerry 10 OS

Instagram is now available on BlackBerry 10 smartphones, after a team of developers have ported the Android version of the application.

BlackBerry has launched its latest mobile operating system, called BlackBerry 10, in late January 2013. The company also revealed two new smartphones, the Q10 and the high-end Z10.

Instagram seen running on a BlackBerry Z10, after the Android application has been ported to the BlackBerry 10 operating system. Credits: BerryThai.com.

Instagram for BlackBerry: just another Android port among thousands of other apps

It appears that the new operating system’s App World is inhabited by more than 70,000 applications. However, most of them are ported from the Android operating system because BlackBerry 10 is based on the QNX platform which supports Android applications.

Instagram announced that it would not release an official BlackBerry 10 application in the near future. To demonstrate that Facebook does not have any plans in this regard, it is worth noting that the photo-sharing service is not available on Windows Phone devices, even though Microsoft has launched its OS more than two years ago.

Anyway, people who like to take photos with their smartphones, but do not enjoy Droids or the iPhone, can now buy a BlackBerry Z10 or Q10. They will be able to enjoy all the goodies of an older version of the Instagram application.

The problem with this port is that it is not official, meaning that users will have to perform some risky operations. After BlackBerry Z10 or Q10 users get rid of the obvious dilemma, the application needs to be installed on their devices by “sideloading” it.

The procedure may require some developing skills. However, there are several guides on the internet, teaching BlackBerry 10 smartphone owners how to install the Instagram application.

BlackBerry may port the app soon to have the edge over Microsoft’s Windows Phones

Users who installed the Instagram application on their BlackBerry handset are reporting that the app has a sluggish performance. The creators of the port have not mentioned whether they are going to release an update in order to improve the user experience or not.

For the time being, the rumor mill says that BlackBerry is working on an official port of the app and that it will release the port very soon, preventing Windows Phone users from getting it sooner.