Some pictures were released earlier this week that purported to show a client for BlackBerry Messenger running on Android. Such a cross-platform release for BBM has been rumored for months and months, but this was the first thing approaching evidence that we’d come across. We’re still not convinced Android BBM will become a reality, but assuming it does, a new rumor says that we’ll have to shell-out a monthly fee to RIM in order to access the service.

The source behind this news is reportedly the same that leaked the earlier photos, and may be a RIM employee. According to him, once Android BBM is launched, users in the US will have to pay about $4 a month for it; things are even more pricy in Europe, where access in the UK would apparently be £5 each month – nearly $8.

We know its advocates swear by BBM, but will it really be able to attract many new users with this suggested subscription model? It just seems like there are far too many other free messaging options that you’d have to be incredibly dedicated to BBM to pay about $50 a year to use it on your Android.

Source: Techno Buffalo