The BlackBerry love affair with Android apps opens a new chapter today with the news of a licensing deal with Amazon for its Appstore. With the launch of BlackBerry 10.3 this fall, BlackBerry 10 device owners will be able to download all the Android apps Amazon has to offer while BlackBerry is left "to focus on enterprise application development."

So far, BlackBerry users have had to hope Android app developers would port and upload their apps to BlackBerry World, or have had to resort to more unofficial methods of obtaining their apps. While the Amazon Appstore isn't Google Play, as we've recently heard it has almost 250,000 apps in its catalog. And importantly – perhaps more so for the more casual BlackBerry 10 user – it will help to close up that ever present app gap.

BlackBerry says it will be working with Amazon to integrate its developer community's apps into the Amazon Appstore before things go live and help them benefit from Amazon's tools, including Amazon Coins. It's important to note also that Amazon does have some strange approval processes, too – not supporting the original Kindle Fire has been an issue we've seen first hand to being able to update apps.

This is probably bigger news for BlackBerry owners than Amazon at this point – especially since Amazon is likely to announce its own smartphone the same day as this announcement – but it's another revenue stream for app developers and should at least put a smile on the faces of some of our BlackBerry owning friends.

The full press release follows.