BBM for Android and iPhone apps officially rolling out later today [UPDATED]

Get those download fingers ready, Android and iOS users, because BlackBerry just announced the official launch details for its official BBM for Android and iPhone applications. The company says that both apps should begin arriving in the Google Play Store, iOS App Store and select Samsung App Stores within "the next few hours."

BlackBerry also announced that in order to help deal with demand for its official BBM apps and ensure a smooth rollout, it will be utilizing a queue system as part of its launch. Once a user downloads the BBM for Android or iPhone app, he or she will be prompted to enter an email address to hold a spot in line. BlackBerry will then send an email to alert the user once his or her turn to sign up has come. Anyone that submitted their email address to BBM.com to learn more about the app will be able to skip the line and sign up immediately.

The official BBM for Android and iPhone apps were originally slated to launch one month ago, but issues stemming from a leaked version of the BBM for Android app caused BlackBerry to delay the official rollout. While it's kind of a bummer that that delay ended up stretching into a full month, the good news is that the apps are finally almost here (hopefully). As for the queue system, BlackBerry says that it's "focused on moving millions of customers through the line as fast as possible," so your wait may not be as bad as you initially feared.

The only timing that BlackBerry has given for its BBM app rollout is "the next few hours," which obviously isn't the most specific estimate we've ever seen. Keep it locked to PhoneDog and I'll give you a shout once I start to see the apps pop up on the virtual shelves of Google Play and the App Store.

Via Inside BlackBerry, App Store: BBM for iPhone, Google Play: BBM for Android