Some regarded it as a smart way for BlackBerry to extend its ecosystem, while for others it was an admission of the platform's lack of developer support.

Either way, plans for RIM to add support for Android apps to the BlackBerry PlayBook appear to have been extended across its range, with unnamed sources reporting new BlackBerry handsets due in 2012 - which use the same underlying QNX OS - will also sport the feature.

Playing the app game

RIM announced back in March that PlayBook owners would be able to access a dedicated Android 'player' that will allow them to run apps designed for Android 2.3, otherwise known as Gingerbread.

The idea was, the addition of popular Android apps – which, even restricted to Gingerbread apps, boasts a far larger library than those already available on BlackBerry App World – would compliment existing 'super apps', created specifically for the PlayBook platform.

Though owners of the tablet have yet to gain access to the new player, Bloomberg reports RIM's new QNX/BlackBerry 7-based handsets (due in early 2012) will benefit from a similar set up.

The site sources "three people familiar with the plan", who asked to remain anonymous given the plan itself is not yet public.

Quick fix

Though far from concrete at this stage, the suggestion RIM is looking to adopt such a strategy for its new range of handsets is far from surprising, given BlackBerry continues to lose ground to both Android and iOS in most major markets.

One of the criticism's laid at BlackBerry's door is the lack of app support. Back in July, a supposed senior RIM executive took to the web to claim developers 'hate' the platform.

"We urgently need to invest like we never have before in becoming developer friendly," said the executive in the open letter.

"There is no polite way to say this, but it's true - BlackBerry smartphone apps suck. Even PlayBook, with all its glorious power, looks like a Fisher Price toy with its Adobe AIR/Flash apps."

Indeed, news of RIM's plans to add Android app support to PlayBook broke in a similarly unofficial manner, with a representative spilling the beans during a demo at Mobile World Congress.

[source: Bloomberg]