BlackBerry developers recently received an email letting them know that significant changes are being made to BlackBerry App World categories including the elimination of the Beta category.

Key category changes include:

  • News: The News category has been expanded to include magazines. This category is now called News and Magazines and includes Blogs as a subcategory.
  • Beta: The Beta category is discontinued. The apps located the Beta category have been moved to relevant categories.
  • Reference and eBooks & Education: The Books and Reference category has been divided in to separate categories so that these are now individual categories respectively. The Reference category includes Education. This new category is Education & Reference.
  • Shopping: The Shopping category has been renamed Lifestyle.
  • Maps & Navigation: The Maps & Navigation category now includes Travel and has been renamed Navigation and Travel.
  • Music Creation (*NEW*): There is a new subcategory Music Creation available under the Music and Audio category.
  • Children’s Categories (*NEW*): There are two new children’s focused categories:
  • New Children’s Games category within the Games Channel
  • New Children’s Books subcategory within the Books category