Deets released on BlackBerry app centre

Will it take on Apple's App Store?

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9 October 2008 16:42 GMT / By Katie Scott

OK so it's only be released to a limited number of developers, but the BlackBerry SDK is still exciting as it could mean a whole host of new applications for the smartphones, notably the new consumer-friendly Storm.

The launch of the BlackBerry App Center was a muted affair, coming as it did, on the same day as the Storm launch, but here's some details.

The Application Center will be designed for the Storm touch screen UI.

Most important to note is the fact that it will be the carriers that are responsible for hosting the application data and sending updates to the directory to RIM, says Phadroid.

When BlackBerry users visit the centre, they will get a list of all of the applications that are available with the carrier for their model, but incompatible applications won't be shown.

This list will give detailed info about each app and they will be able to install just by clicking on the apps they want. They will also be able to delete applications off their smartphone from within the centre.

The user will also get status info including update list for their apps, and a log of when they updated last.

Phadroid adds: "Since the download and installation will be handled by the browser in this first release, the Application Center will not be capable of restarting the application / download intelligently".