BlackBerry Ltd. has officially withdrawn its service, leaving the remains of fond memories for former users of the legendary mobile phone.
BlackBerry has turned off its mobile OS service. In its heyday, BlackBerry was used by many people, including well-known political figures including former US President Barack Obama.
This move from BlackBerry marks the end of its era as a mobile phone. The phone, known for its small physical QWERTY keyboard, pioneered push email, and BBM’s exclusive instant messaging service.
BlackBerry lost its heyday when iPhones and Android devices emerged as competitors, competing for the upper hand to this day.
In recent years, BlackBerry has focused more on creating cybersecurity software and embedded operating systems for cars.
A technology enthusiast at the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas on Wednesday (5/1) also regretted the end of BlackBerry smartphones.
“BlackBerry was quite innovative at the time, and it was very useful with speed dialing and I remember using the phone quite a lot [saat itu],” said Steve Mcnamee, a tech enthusiast from North Carolina.
“Now I feel, to be honest, with the touchscreen that you get with an iPhone or any device. Of the other options that are out there, it’s a lot more comfortable.”
However, Mcnamee also said that with the development of telephone functions that are more like handheld computers, he feels more comfortable if the device has a larger screen, such as an iPhone or Samsung device.
Another former BlackBerry user from Mexico named Alberto Calderon also said that he had used a cell phone that had a trackball, while reminiscing about the device.
“I used to use a BlackBerry that had a white ball, the ball was on. For me, I thought it was a bit difficult to use it so when the iPhone came out, the first one, I really liked it. And since then, I’ve been using the iPhone,” he said.
Besides Calderon, another technology enthusiast also mentioned that the world of technology has indeed changed, but BlackBerry once ruled the world.
“The world has definitely moved, but there came a time when BlackBerry really ruled the world,” said Vinayak Shrivastav, a 30-year-old tech enthusiast from Wilmington, Delaware.
“Everything we see today, from WhatsApp to iMessages, is basically an invented engine from what BlackBerry has with BBM messaging,” he added.
Sabya Das, 29, from Sacramento, California, said that the BlackBerry phone was the beginning of her learning to use the phone since childhood.
“I missed the physical touch and the keyboard that was there,” Das told Reuters.
“We’ve definitely moved on, but I think there’s still a place for it that we’re all missing,” he added.
In a document published in 2020, the BlackBerry company said it would take steps to disable legacy services for the BlackBerry 10 operating system and BlackBerry OS.
Also, some of the enhancements running on it will no longer be supported and may not be able to receive or send data, and prevent the phone from making calls or sending messages properly.
(lnn / fjr)
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