BlackBerry World

Saudi operator Mobily launched an app store within BlackBerry World, in what is touted as the first operator-led storefront within another app store in the Middle East.

It emerged that a single developer is responsible for more than 47,000 titles available in BlackBerry World, taking the shine off the 120,000 apps touted by BlackBerry CEO Thorsten Heins in May.

BlackBerry announced that there are now 120,000 apps for its BlackBerry 10 platform, after adding 50,000 titles in the four months since the platform was launched.

The world’s four leading app stores generated $2. 2 billion in total revenue from 13. 4 billion downloads in the first quarter of 2013, according to analyst firm Canalys.

RIM said that more than 19,000 applications were submitted in its latest Port-A-Thon event, as it extended the deadline for apps submitted to its Built for BlackBerry programme.

Apple’s App Store topped ABI Research’s competitive assessment of app storefronts, ahead of Google Play and Microsoft’s Windows Phone Store. The app portals were ranked based on two criteria: implementation and innovation.

RIM is renaming its BlackBerry App World to BlackBerry World, in a move designed to reflect the wider range of content that will be made available to support the launch of BlackBerry 10 smartphones early next year.