Instagram reportedly coming to BlackBerry 10. Presages Windows Phone?

It's your destiny

If there is one nagging issues that Windows Phone can’t get away from it’s the so-called "app gap". Specifically that some major apps or services are still missing from the platform and will prevent potential customers from switching smartphones. The problem lessens every day when a new big name title launches on Windows Phone, but if there was one that people really want, it’s Instagram.

We’ll leave our personal opinion about the hipster photo service to the side because in the end, it doesn’t matter if we like it or would rather stick a fork in our eye than use it. The masses have spoken and Instagram is a “must have” just like diabetes for Americans.

Our friend and colleague Kevin Michaluk from CrackBerry has gone on record recently, vehemently we might add, stating that Instagram is absolutely coming to BlackBerry 10.

Instagram - Coming to BlackBerry 10

The article was written in response to Venture Beat who claimed otherwise. Kev’s response was very straightforward:

“No offense to VentureBeat, but whatever sources they have that are familiar with the matter, I have better sources that are even more familiar with this matter. I checked in with my contacts that all but gave formal confirmation that RIM continues to have a strong relationship with Facebook, who now owns Instagram, and that you will see Instagram come to BlackBerry 10.”

We know Kev, we know his links to Waterloo and we know there isn’t anyone on the ‘net who knows more about RIM’s plans than himself. So if he’s willing to buy someone a car if he’s wrong, we’re confident in his prediction too. (Seriously, he’s offered to buy someone a car if he’s wrong.)

That leads us to Windows Phone—we still don’t have that app. We have our fingers crossed that when Microsoft reveals Windows Phone 8 on the 29th they will also have a ton of announcements for new apps and partners. That’s how it’s been done in the past with Redmond: show off product, show off new hardware, and then announce all the big app and game titles that are co-launching.

Our prediction is on October 29th, Microsoft will announce a dozen or so Windows Phone 8 games using the new native coding ability in addition to showing new and updated apps for the platform. Could Instagram be a part of that?

If BlackBerry 10 is getting Instagram--an OS that’s not even out yet and in our opinion destined for failure (sorry, Kev)--how could Microsoft and Windows Phone not get it as well?

We won’t bet a car on it but if Microsoft doesn’t show off Instagram at the end of October, well, guess what headline you’ll be seeing. 

Source: CrackBerry

Daniel Rubino
Editor-in-chief

Daniel Rubino is the Editor-in-chief of Windows Central. He is also the head reviewer, podcast co-host, and analyst. He has been covering Microsoft since 2007, when this site was called WMExperts (and later Windows Phone Central). His interests include Windows, laptops, next-gen computing, and watches. He has been reviewing laptops since 2015 and is particularly fond of 2-in-1 convertibles, ARM processors, new form factors, and thin-and-light PCs. Before all this tech stuff, he worked on a Ph.D. in linguistics, watched people sleep (for medical purposes!), and ran the projectors at movie theaters because it was fun.