Hey everyone! It’s Matt here with some exciting news to share with you regarding support for new BlackBerry® Runtime for Android™ Apps APIs in BlackBerry® 10.

Since the launch of the BlackBerry Runtime for Android Apps on BlackBerry® PlayBook™ OS 2.0, we have had thousands of Android apps successfully ported and posted to the BlackBerry App World™ storefront. We’ve also heard many requests for additional features and APIs for the BlackBerry Runtime for Android Apps, and today I’m happy to share with you what some of those new features will be in BlackBerry 10.

A feature request we heard from both developer and end user alike was for multi-window support. Applications built for the BlackBerry Runtime for Android Apps will now launch in separate windows, allowing for multitasking and viewing just like regular native BlackBerry 10 apps!

Additionally, we have added API support for Camera and In-App Payments. With these additions, we now support even more potential Android apps and offer an additional way for developers to monetize their applications. In-App Payments will work with user’s existing BlackBerry® ID and be processed through BlackBerry App World.

These new features will be available in the BlackBerry 10 Runtime for Android Apps beta, and will be coming as an update to the BlackBerry® PlayBook™ tablet later this summer. More Runtime for Android Apps features will be coming to BlackBerry 10, so stay tuned!

For additional information on the BlackBerry Runtime for Android Apps, please visit our Runtime for Android Apps site.

This, however, all changed with the addition of BlackBerry® Runtime for Android apps on the new BlackBerry® PlayBook™ OS 2.0. The process of porting Android apps has now become a few simple clicks.

Sergei talked to us about BlackBerry Runtime for Android apps, the benefit of working with the BlackBerry® Java® Plug-in for Eclipse™, and why it has always been important for Second Gear Games to run apps on BlackBerry devices.

How has the BlackBerry Runtime for Android apps made it easier for you to run Android apps on the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet?

In the past, when we would build an Android app and then port it to the BlackBerry OS, the porting process would take us anywhere from a week to a month depending on the complexity of the game. Despite the fact that the app’s code remained in Java, there were still a number of differences between the platforms and functionalities that needed to be translated from one operating system to the other.

With BlackBerry Runtime for Android, porting apps is effortless and there is nothing we need to change in the coding of our games to make it run on the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet. The games compile, upload, and scale themselves to the tablet in absolutely no time at all. It’s amazing what a difference it makes: it took us less than an hour to put the Android version of Shopper’s Paradise HD on the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet.

There is no noticeable performance penalty when running an Android app on the device and all we really needed to get started was a BlackBerry App World™ vendor account and a BlackBerry PlayBook tablet running the latest BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 beta.

How useful is the BlackBerry Java Plug-in for Eclipse?

It’s a huge benefit to be able to use the BlackBerry Java Plug-in for Eclipse. It allows developers to use the same integrated development environment (IDE) and maintain one project on two platforms. Software isn’t perfect, minor bugs will need to be fixed regardless of how much you test it. If you’ve split your code into multiple copies to support multiple platforms, then you have to go and edit all those copies, apply the changes, and fix the bugs. But one major benefit of the common code base is that you can change only one set of files and then build for multiple targets, which is a huge timesaver.

Why is it important for you to run games on the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet?

There are a couple main reasons. First of all, the uptake of paid apps has always been really good on BlackBerry devices. When we began developing in 2009 on the respective Android and BlackBerry platforms, our BlackBerry games were generating more revenue than our Android games, even though the Android market wasn’t as crowded back then. Now, Android is so over-populated and there is so much free content available that selling apps is even more of a challenge.

With BlackBerry it’s always been easier – we have a very receptive customer base that we communicate with on a regular basis, exchanging ideas and responding to any technical issues that customers might have. This relationship makes it even more enjoyable to build and publish on the BlackBerry platform.

I’m also really impressed by the device itself. I’ve tested a lot of different tablets, and to be honest, I like the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet more than any of them. It’s a really pleasant device, from its responsiveness to its user interface to its screen size – quite frankly, I like everything about it.

Thanks very much for your time today, Sergei!

At CES 2012 in Las Vegas, we previewed the upcoming BlackBerry® PlayBook™ OS 2.0 software, which is designed to have the BlackBerry® Runtime for Android™ Apps built-in! This offering will allow developers to repackage their existing Android™ applications to run on the BlackBerry® PlayBook™ tablet, as well as the upcoming BlackBerry® 10 devices.

Seeing the great response for the BlackBerry Runtime for Android Apps at CES, developer meet-ups and conferences that we’ve attended over the last few months, we’re expecting a huge interest in the consumer space for these apps when the update is made available next month. We want to ensure that you are able to capitalize on this unique opportunity by having your applications available when BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 is launched!

In order to ensure that your packaged and signed Android app is available in the BlackBerry App World™ storefront for the release of BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0, be sure to have your app submitted by Monday, February 6th, 2012.

To help with the process of submitting your application for approval and entry into BlackBerry App World, we strongly recommend the following:

• Before submitting your Android application to BlackBerry App World, please make sure to remove all mention of the word “Android” from your application. Both in the application description and the application itself.
• Please remove all links to Android Market from within your application.
• When submitting your Android application to BlackBerry App World, please make sure to select a minimum BlackBerry PlayBook OS of 2.0.
• Please make sure your application is signed. For more information on code signing, please view the code signing documentation on the BlackBerry Runtime for Android Apps webpage (linked here).

We’ve released a few different options to convert your application (from APK to BAR) which are:

• The BlackBerry Plug-in for ADT, which is designed to augment your existing Eclipse development environment
• The BlackBerry Packager for Android apps, which is designed to allow you to test/convert your app through your browser (no downloads required!)
• The BlackBerry SDK for Android apps, which is designed to give you access to command-line arguments for scripting and getting your hands dirty

I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how easy the porting process is. You can of course submit your application at a later date, but in order to ensure broader reach and exposure to consumers, I would strongly suggest having it submitted by February 6th, 2012.

If you have any questions, our Android microsite is extremely useful, or feel free to drop by our forum or tweet us (@BlackBerryDev). It’s a great time to be a BlackBerry developer!