Thread: 5 Features I Want In BlackBerry App World For PlayBook and Beyond (BlackBerry 10)

Last week, we showed you some early mockups of potential BlackBerry 10 App World interfaces from Research In Motion and we had some suggestions within our forums as to what features some users were interested in for BlackBerry App World. Since the BlackBerry PlayBook was release in April 2011, we have seen several different versions of BlackBerry App World. As a user and a developer for the BlackBerry platform, here are a few features that I feel are ‘must-haves’ which would significantly improve the user experience within BlackBerry App World.

1. Bring back the ‘Recently Updated’ feature – This was one my favorite features in BlackBerry App World when we had it back in OS 1.0. This feature allows users to know what apps developers are still supporting and bring exposure to these updated apps as if they were fresh news apps. This feature would also be beneficial to developers as an encouragement to improve upon their apps as they will get additional exposure upon an app update within BlackBerry App World.
2. Include a ‘Suggestions’ tab – Similar to how other platforms have app suggestions I feel this feature would be a great addition to have in App World by suggesting apps to users based on other users with similar app tastes and preferences. With a growing app library of over 20,000 apps for the BlackBerry PlayBook it can be very hard to some of the lesser known or non-featured apps which may appeal to me, a suggestion tabs would be very useful in bring exposure to these applications.
3. Allow the permanent removal of unpaid apps from your ‘Uninstalled’ list – Like others who purchased their PlayBook during the earlier stages of its release, I downloaded many apps that I no longer use or are no longer supported by the developer and as new and improved apps came along, I uninstalled these unused applications. But like many users who try out apps that turned out to be not that great, I occasionally want to remove these applications from my uninstalled list to keep my uninstalled with apps that I may still be interested in the future. Currently my uninstalled list has more than 500 apps and every time you click into list you have to start scrolling from the beginning of the alphabet see if there are any apps that I may be interested in. I understand that the purpose of this list is for users to find what apps they have previous installed in case they lose their PlayBook or did a security wipe and did not back up their applications, however, allowing users to ‘hide’ or ‘permanently’ remove unpaid apps from the uninstalled list would definitely help me organize and only keep those apps which I am still interested.
4. Allow Coupon Codes for App Purchases – This feature was mentioned as a top priority to arrive in the version of App World during one of the Jam Sessions at the original BlackBerry Jam in Orlando, however, two months later and we have yet to see this feature being implemented in App World. As a developer, I am very interested in looking forward to this as it would help with app promotions and giveaways, as a user, I believe many like me, would be interested in purchasing great apps at a discounted prices.
5. Lists in App World need have a ‘next’ page – This feature would be very useful in adding additional exposure to more applications especially within the ‘New Arrival’ sections. On occasion, there are a flood of e-book applications that come in and will push off many great applications from the new arrivals page which strongly hurt developers who are looking for any sort of exposure they can get on their app launches. In addition being advantageous to developers, users may not be surfing app world daily and maybe interested to know what new applications have arrived in App World beyond the last 25 applications submitted.

I believe many of the features would be useful in growing App World from both a user and developer’s perspective and hopefully look forward to some of these ideas being implemented when the launch of BlackBerry 10 rolls around.

Discuss below and let us know what feature you'd like to have for next update for BlackBerry App World

Dang bro, you read my mind. lol Good read.

I would really like the recently updated feature although I thought that was the point of the " My World" section, but I do not think that it shows you the apps that have been updated that you have not downloaded.

Number 4 is huge. Great list.

Great one.
I hope they listen The removing an app option is one Id also lkke to see in app world for handheld devices.
Also the codes sounds great, but maybe (like on the handhelds) carrier billing as your Playbook is linked to the same account as your BlackBerry. For me this would mean buying alot (more) apps because I dont have paypal or a creditcard. This would mean an increase of apps bought thus more revenue / income and might attrackt mlre developers to make apps...

I agree with most of that - but I want to add something to point 1.

If you watch the 'New Arrivals' tab in Apps or Games, the new arrivals include updated apps. They aren't completely lost and that does give space to Top Free / Top Paid tabs.

Excellent suggestions. You should email them to Alex Saunders or who ever is in charge of Appworld.