You see, a Blackberry offered users ultimate freedom: they could access their email on the go. But, a decade later, the company’s stock was dwindling, and Apple and Android were taking over the market.
Today, Blackberries are a relic of the past. But, many users still have fond memories of their devices. Having used quite a few, here are seven things only Blackberry users will remember.
1. That Sublime Keyboard
In a world full of touch-screen devices, many still miss the tactile response from physical keys when typing. I, for one, definitely do. Blackberry absolutely nailed the physical QWERTY keyboard on mobile devices.
Sure, at the time, Nokia and most other companies were using the standard T9 keyboard layouts on their devices, but Blackberry really changed the game. From writing long emails to virtually entire articles, Blackberry’s physical keyboard was truly ahead of its time.
There were a few phones that were released with physical keyboards, but none that could match the excellence of Blackberry’s QWERTY keyboard. That iconic keyboard is what allowed people to answer emails as if they were replying to text messages.
2. The Undisputed Superiority of BBM
Before iMessage or Facebook Messenger, or even WhatsApp, there was BBM, or Blackberry Messenger. All the cool kids in school used BBM, shunning text messaging in favor of a more powerful, more interactive option.
Back then, we didn’t know much about encryption, though that’s what made it a popular choice for the business market. All you needed was your BBM PIN, an eight-digit number that allowed you to chat with others easily.
BBM ended consumer support in 2019, but it’s hard not to remember the fond memories of chatting with friends for hours on end using this service.
3. Unparalleled Security
Blackberries were some of the most secure devices in the market. In fact, the US President would continue using the Blackberry until 2015, long after the brand had faltered.
And no, it’s not because at one point non-Blackberry users simply didn’t know how to unlock Blackberry devices. This was a time when the cybersecurity industry was still taking root, and Blackberry was way ahead of its peers.
All emails sent to and from Blackberries were routed via the Blackberry Enterprise Service, which offered end-to-end encryption. That’s not all. RIM, the company behind Blackberry, used tight integration between hardware and software encryption mechanisms, offering top-notch data protection.
4. Sending and Answering Emails Like a Pro
Blackberry phones played a crucial role in promoting the rise of email after the turn of the millennium. The unified inbox brought all your communication in one place, allowing you to answer emails, text messages, or BBM messages, from a centralized hub.
The physical keyboard made typing emails fun on the Blackberry. And, with Blackberry’s fantastic infrastructure, sending and receiving emails was incredibly easy. There’s a case to be made here that Blackberry also allowed employers to send emails to employees even after work, something that eventually became an issue.
It’s easy to say that Blackberries changed the perception that most people had about mobile phones. These were no longer devices that simply offered calling or messaging services anymore, but one that you could use to write elaborate emails.
5. The Annoying Ping
If you owned a Blackberry in its heyday, you know what I’m talking about. The predecessor to things like Facebook’s “Poke” was Blackberry’s Ping. As soon as you sent one, it would make the recipient’s phone buzz.
The concept was simple: if your friend wasn’t replying to you, just send them a Ping. It would make their phone buzz, attracting their attention, and hopefully, prompting a response. However, most of us never really used it the way it was intended. Instead of sending one and waiting for a response, we’d spam and send several in one go, often eliciting angry responses.
While I definitely remember the Ping, I’m also glad to see the back of it. While it was fun to spam others, it used to get quite annoying when your phone would start buzzing incessantly.
6. Those Battery Pulls
One of the things that I miss about older Blackberry devices was the battery life. Blackberries could easily last two days without causing any issues, something that even the most powerful phones of today can’t compete with.
But, that’s not all. Most Blackberry devices at the time had a plastic back, allowing you to remove the battery and simply pop it back in. Unless you were a really heavy user, carrying a spare battery wasn’t a concern.
Blackberry devices were prone to bricking from time to time. When that happened, you just had to open the back cover, pop out the battery, and put it back in. Sadly, that feature’s no longer available, as most manufacturers now walk the path of planned obsolescence.
7. There Was No Need to Remember Your Own Phone Number
Most people don’t remember their own phone numbers, and that’s partly because of a movement that Blackberry started.
Back in the early 2000s, the company revealed a feature where, instead of having to write your number, you could just type mynumber, and it would instantly replace it with your actual number. It doesn’t seem like a big feature now, but it was definitely one of those subtle quality-of-life improvements that Blackberry was renowned for at one point.
Technology’s Come a Long Way
Blackberry simply couldn’t keep up with the rate of innovation of its competitors, which ultimately led to its demise. Companies like Samsung and Apple continued to introduce new features, catering to market demand, whereas Blackberry hedged its bets, focusing on a rapidly decreasing consumer base.
These companies now release new phones each year, whereas Blackberry now focuses more on enterprise security.
