BBM, BlackBerry's widely acclaimed messaging app, will soon be available on lower-end Android smartphones running Gingerbread (version 2.3.3+), a top BlackBerry executive has announced.

Jeff Gadway, head of product & market branding at BlackBerry, wrote on the company's official blog that BBM would be made available on Gingerbread devices in February this year.

Announcing the potential availability of the messaging app on Gingerbread devices, Gadway wrote, "BBM will soon also be available on Android Devices running Gingerbread (v2.3.3+)."

However, the BlackBerry executive didn't mention a precise date for the availability of the messaging app on Gingerbread devices. In other words, the launch may take place in the first week or towards the end of February. It may be noted here that BBM is already available for devices running on iOS and higher versions of Android mobile platforms.

Gingerbread is an old version of Android, but it is still relevant in several developing nations where most entry-level smartphones. For instance, Indian manufacturer Micromax's Bolt A26 and Bold A27 phones still run on Gingerbread.

According to latest Android Developer Dashboard, Gingerbread still accounts for nearly 21 per cent of Android-based devices.