RIM Playbook gets Android apps

Canadian handset manufacturer Research In Motion is expanding the application ecosystem for its BlackBerry Playbook with a software toolset that will allow users to run Android apps on the tablet.

Over the summer, RIM will introduce two optional ‘app players’ that provide an application run-time environment for BlackBerry Java-based apps and Android v2.3 apps for the Playbook.

It’s one of those promises that makes everything sound so simple for developers. Engineers currently building for the BlackBerry or Android platforms will be able to quickly and easily port their apps to run on the BlackBerry Tablet OS thanks to a high degree of API compatibility, RIM said, adding that the app players will be placed in a secure sandbox on the PlayBook.

“Developers will simply repackage, code sign and submit their BlackBerry Java and Android apps to BlackBerry App World,” RIM said.

The BlackBerry PlayBook is scheduled to launch in the US and Canada on April 19.