BlackBerry facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
BlackBerry

Three BlackBerry devices in comparison
Developer	BlackBerry Limited (1999–2016) BB Merah Putih (Indonesia; 2016–2019) Optiemus Infracom (India; 2017–2018) TCL Corporation (Worldwide; 2016–2020) OnwardMobility (Enterprise; 2020–2022)
Manufacturer	Current: Optiemus Infracom (South Asia) FIH Mobile (Enterprise) Former: BlackBerry Limited TCL (Worldwide) BB Merah Putih (Indonesia)
Type	Handheld devices
Release date	January 19, 1999; 26 years ago (1999-01-19)
Discontinued	January 4, 2022; 3 years ago (2022-01-04)
Operating system	Android Former: BlackBerry 10 BlackBerry OS
Online services	BlackBerry World, Google Play Store, BlackBerry Messenger

BlackBerry was a well-known brand of smartphones and other mobile devices. It also offered related mobile services. The company BlackBerry Limited (originally called Research In Motion, or RIM) from Canada first created and managed these devices from 1999 to 2016. After that, other companies were given permission to use the BlackBerry name.

BlackBerry phones were famous for keeping communications safe and helping people be productive on the go. Many BlackBerry devices had special keyboards. They also used their own software services that ran through BlackBerry's own computer servers. In September 2011, BlackBerry was at its most popular, with 85 million users worldwide. However, BlackBerry lost its leading spot in the market. This happened because Android and iOS phones became very successful. By March 2016, BlackBerry's user numbers had dropped to 23 million.

On September 28, 2016, BlackBerry Limited announced a big change. They decided to stop designing their own BlackBerry phones. Instead, they would let other companies design, make, and sell them. The first companies to get these licenses were BB Merah Putih for Indonesia, Optiemus Infracom for South Asia, and BlackBerry Mobile (part of TCL Technology) for other parts of the world.

Historically, BlackBerry devices used their own special operating system called BlackBerry OS. BlackBerry Limited developed this system. In 2013, BlackBerry launched BlackBerry 10. This was a big update to their system, based on the QNX operating system. BlackBerry 10 was meant to replace the older BlackBerry OS. It aimed to offer a user experience more like Android and iOS phones. In 2015, BlackBerry started making smartphones that ran on Android. The first one was called the BlackBerry Priv.

A comedy-drama film about the rise and fall of the phone came out in February 2023. It was shown at the 73rd Berlin International Film Festival.

The Story of BlackBerry Phones

Mike Lazaridis was a founder and former co-CEO of BlackBerry.

The company Research in Motion (RIM) started in Waterloo, Ontario. They first created a device called the Inter@ctive Pager 900. It was announced on September 18, 1996. This pager could send and receive messages. It looked like a clamshell device. After the 900 did well, they made the Inter@ctive Pager 800 for IBM.

The first device to be called "BlackBerry" was the BlackBerry 850. It was an email pager released on January 19, 1999. It looked like the 950, but it was the first to combine email. The name "Inter@ctive Pager" was no longer used.

The BlackBerry 850 was introduced in 1999 in Munich, Germany. RIM created BlackBerry to send emails over different wireless networks. A marketing company called Lexicon Branding came up with the name "BlackBerry." They chose it because the tiny buttons on the keyboard looked like the small parts of a blackberry fruit. The name also sounded quick, which fit the fast email system.

The first BlackBerry devices, the RIM 850 and 857, used the DataTAC network. In 2002, the convergent BlackBerry 5810 smartphone came out. This phone could do many things. It supported email, phone calls, text messages, and web browsing.

BlackBerry became very popular in the mobile world by focusing on email. BlackBerry also started offering its email service on phones that were not BlackBerry devices. They did this using special software called BlackBerry Connect.

Early BlackBerry devices had a simple black and white screen. Newer models came with color screens. All newer models were made for "thumbing." This means typing only with your thumbs on the keyboard. The Storm 1 and Storm 2 had a special keypad for typing.

At first, you navigated the phone using a scroll wheel on the right side. This was on models before the 8700. The scroll wheel was replaced by a trackball when the Pearl series came out. This allowed you to scroll in four directions. Later, the trackball was replaced by an optical trackpad with the Curve 8500 series. Some models also had a push-to-talk (PTT) feature, like a two-way radio.

On January 30, 2013, BlackBerry announced two new smartphones: the Z10 and Q10. Both had touch screens. The Z10 was all touch, while the Q10 had a QWERTY keyboard and touch features.

In 2013, BlackBerry sold 6.8 million phones. But a competitor, Nokia, sold more of its Lumia phones for the first time.

On August 12, 2013, BlackBerry announced it might sell the company. This was because of their financial struggles and tough competition. Sales of the Z10 were lower than expected. So, on September 20, 2013, BlackBerry announced they would cut 4,500 jobs. They also reduced their product line from six to four models.

On December 17, 2014, the BlackBerry Classic was introduced. It was designed to be more like the older Bold series. It had navigation buttons similar to previous BlackBerry OS devices. When it was stopped in June 2016, it was the last BlackBerry with a physical keyboard covering most of the phone's front.

In September 2015, BlackBerry showed off the BlackBerry Priv. This was a slider phone with an 18-megapixel camera. It used the Android operating system. It also had extra security and productivity features inspired by BlackBerry's own systems.

On July 26, 2016, BlackBerry hinted that another phone with a physical keyboard was "coming shortly." On the same day, they showed a mid-range Android phone called the BlackBerry DTEK50. This phone only had an on-screen keyboard. It ran on Android Marshmallow (version 6.0). The DTEK50 had a 5.2-inch full high-definition display. BlackBerry's chief security officer, David Kleidermacher, emphasized data security. He said this model had built-in protection against harmful software and encrypted all user information.

In September 2016, BlackBerry Limited made a deal with an Indonesian company. They formed a new company called BB Merah Putih. This company would "source, distribute, and market BlackBerry handsets in Indonesia."

In February 2017, a lawsuit was announced against BlackBerry by former employees. In March 2017, BB Merah Putih announced the BlackBerry Aurora. This was an Indonesian-made phone that ran on Android 7.0.

In 2017, BlackBerry Mobile released the BlackBerry KeyOne. It was known for its physical keyboard below a 4.5-inch touchscreen and long battery life. It was the last phone designed completely by BlackBerry itself. Also in 2017, BlackBerry Mobile released the BlackBerry Aurora, BlackBerry KeyOne L/E BLACK, and the BlackBerry Motion through their partners.

In June 2018, the BlackBerry Key2 was launched internationally. It had a dual camera setup and features like portrait mode. In August 2018, Optiemus Infracom launched the BlackBerry Evolve and Evolve X smartphones for the Indian market. These phones were designed and made in India.

By 2019, BB Merah Putih's website changed. BlackBerry Limited said they would only offer technical support for Indonesian devices made by that company. Also, the status of Optiemus is unclear since 2020.

In October 2023, it was announced that BlackBerry's Chief Operating Officer, John Chen, would leave after ten years. Richard Lynch took over as interim CEO.

Important Legal Cases

BlackBerry faced some important legal challenges regarding its technology.

NTP Inc. Case

In 2000, a company called NTP claimed that Research In Motion (RIM) was using its wireless email patents without permission. NTP filed a lawsuit against RIM. The court found that RIM had used NTP's patents without permission. The judge ordered RIM to pay NTP a large sum of money. The judge also said RIM should stop using the patents. This could have stopped BlackBerry services in the US. RIM appealed this decision.

In March 2005, RIM and NTP tried to settle the dispute for $450 million, but the talks failed. The US Department of Justice even got involved. They asked that BlackBerry service be allowed to continue. This was because many US government workers used BlackBerry phones.

In January 2006, the US Supreme Court refused to hear RIM's appeal. This meant the case went back to a lower court. The judge could have stopped all BlackBerry sales and use in the US if they didn't settle.

On February 9, 2006, RIM announced they had found ways to make their software work without using NTP's patents. On March 3, 2006, RIM and NTP finally settled their dispute. RIM agreed to pay NTP $612.5 million. This payment settled all claims. This meant no more court cases or decisions about damages or stopping services.

In May 2017, BlackBerry announced another agreement. They settled a payment dispute with Qualcomm Incorporated for $940 million.

In summer 2020, a startup called OnwardMobility planned to make a new 5G BlackBerry smartphone. They worked with BlackBerry Limited and FIH Mobile. Their goal was to bring back the BlackBerry brand with a new Android phone. However, on February 18, 2022, OnwardMobility announced they would not make the new phone. The company itself also shut down.

Service Problems

BlackBerry sometimes had problems with its services. These were sometimes called "embarrassing" in the news.

In 2005, there was a short service outage for some users in North America. The service was fixed in a few hours. In 2007, the email service had another outage. This made some people question how reliable BlackBerry's system was. In 2009, there was an outage that affected all of North America.

From October 10, 2011, a big outage started. It lasted several days and affected millions of BlackBerry users in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. The next day, there was another outage. By October 12, 2011, the BlackBerry Internet Service went down in North America. Research In Motion said the problem was too much data and switch failures. This happened in their data centers in Waterloo, Canada, and Slough, England. The outage led to calls for changes in the company's leadership. BlackBerry estimated they lost between $50 million and $54 million because of this global email service failure.

BlackBerry Stores

Many BlackBerry stores were located outside North America. For example, in Thailand, Indonesia, and the United Arab Emirates. In December 2007, a BlackBerry Store opened in Farmington Hills, Michigan. This store sold BlackBerry devices from major U.S. phone companies. There were earlier attempts to open stores in Toronto (Canada) and London (United Kingdom), but they closed.

On September 23, 2015, BlackBerry opened its first pop-up store in Frankfurt, Germany.

BlackBerry Certifications

BlackBerry offered certifications for people who used or supported their devices. These helped show that someone was an expert.

• BCESA (BlackBerry Certified Enterprise Sales Associate) was for professional users. It required passing exams about BlackBerry devices and providing technical support.
• BCTA (BlackBerry Certified Technical Associate)
• BlackBerry Certified Support Associate T2

More technical certifications included:

• BlackBerry Certified Enterprise Server Consultant (BCESC)
• BlackBerry Certified Server Support Technician (BCSST)
• BlackBerry Certified Support Technician (BCSTR)

BlackBerry Products

The original BlackBerry 850 or 950 looked identical.

Android devices:

• BlackBerry Evolve X (2018)
• BlackBerry Evolve (2018)
• BlackBerry Key2 (2018)
• BlackBerry Motion (2017)
• BlackBerry Aurora (2017)
• BlackBerry KeyOne (2017)
• BlackBerry DTEK60 (2016)
• BlackBerry DTEK50 (2016)
• BlackBerry Priv (2015)

BlackBerry 10 devices:

• BlackBerry Leap (2015)
• BlackBerry Classic (2014)
• BlackBerry Passport (2014)
• BlackBerry Porsche Design P'9983 (2014)
• BlackBerry Z3 (2014)
• BlackBerry Z30 (2013)
• BlackBerry Porsche Design P'9982 (2013)
• BlackBerry Q10 (2013)
• BlackBerry Z10 (2013)
• BlackBerry Q5 (2013)

BlackBerry 7 devices:

• BlackBerry Bold series (2011): BlackBerry Bold 9900/9930/9790
• BlackBerry 9720 (2013)
• BlackBerry Porsche Design (2012): BlackBerry Porsche Design P'9981
• BlackBerry Torch series (2011): BlackBerry Torch 9810
• BlackBerry Torch series (2011): BlackBerry Torch 9850/9860
• BlackBerry Curve series (2011): BlackBerry 9350/9360/9370/9380
• BlackBerry Curve 9320/9220 (2012)

BlackBerry 6 devices:

• BlackBerry Torch series (2010): BlackBerry Torch 9800
• BlackBerry Curve series (2010): BlackBerry Curve 9300/9330
• BlackBerry Style 9670 (2010)
• BlackBerry Pearl series (2010): BlackBerry Pearl 3G 9100/9105
• BlackBerry Bold series (2010–2011): BlackBerry Bold 9780/9788

BlackBerry 5 devices:

• BlackBerry Bold series (2008–2010): BlackBerry Bold 9000/9700/9650
• BlackBerry Tour series (2009): BlackBerry Tour (9630)
• BlackBerry Storm series (2009): BlackBerry Storm 2 (9520/9550)
• BlackBerry Storm series (2008): BlackBerry Storm (9500/9530)
• BlackBerry Curve series (2009–2010): BlackBerry Curve 8900 (8900/8910/8980)
• BlackBerry Curve series (2009): BlackBerry Curve 8520/8530

BlackBerry 4 devices:

• BlackBerry 8800 series (2007): BlackBerry 8800/8820/8830
• BlackBerry Pearl series (2006): BlackBerry Pearl 8100/8110/8120/8130
• BlackBerry Pearl Flip series (2008): BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220/8230
• BlackBerry Curve series (2007): BlackBerry Curve 8300 (8300/8310/8320/8330/8350i)

BlackBerry 3 devices:

• BlackBerry Java-based series: 5000, 6000

BlackBerry 2 devices:

• BlackBerry phone series: BlackBerry Charm 7100
• BlackBerry color series: 7200, 7500, 7700

BlackBerry 1 devices:

• BlackBerry pager models: 850, 857, 950, 957

Phone Parts

Modern BlackBerry phones like the BlackBerry Z10 used a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Plus chip. This chip had two 1.5 GHz CPU cores. Some older BlackBerry models used Intel XScale processors. The Curve 8520 had a 512 MHz processor.

The first BlackBerry phone with Android was the BlackBerry Priv, released in late 2015. It had a curved 5.4-inch OLED display. It also featured a sliding QWERTY keyboard that could be hidden. The Priv kept many good features from BlackBerry 10. Its battery could last for 22.5 hours of mixed use. The 18-megapixel camera could also record 4K video.

Software

A new operating system, BlackBerry 10, came out on January 30, 2013. It was for two new BlackBerry models, the Z10 and Q10. The CEO of RIM showed some new features. These included a camera that could rewind frames to pick the best parts of different shots. It also had a smart, predictive keyboard.

The older operating system for BlackBerry devices was BlackBerry OS. This was a special system made by RIM. It was designed for input devices like the track wheel, track ball, and track pad. Apps were available for these devices through BlackBerry World.

Developers could create software using BlackBerry's tools. Any app that used special features had to be digitally signed. This proved who made the app. Apps and themes could be loaded onto BlackBerry devices through BlackBerry World.

BlackBerry devices, and later Android, iOS, and Windows Phone, could use BlackBerry Messenger, also known as BBM. This software sent and received encrypted instant messages, voice notes, images, and videos. These messages were free if you had a data plan. BBM had features like groups, shared calendars, and integration with other apps.

In April 2013, BlackBerry announced they were closing their music streaming service, BBM Music. It closed on June 2, 2013.

In July 2014, BlackBerry introduced BlackBerry Assistant. This was a new feature for BlackBerry OS 10.3 and the BlackBerry Passport phone. It was a digital personal assistant to help you stay "organized, informed and productive."

On January 3, 2022, BlackBerry announced they would stop services for all BlackBerry phones not running on Android. This happened on January 4. BlackBerry said that older devices would no longer work reliably for data, calls, or texts.

Phones with BlackBerry Email

Several non-BlackBerry phones also had the BlackBerry email client. This allowed them to connect to BlackBerry servers. Many of these phones had full QWERTY keyboards.

• AT&T Tilt
• HTC Advantage X7500
• HTC TyTN
• Motorola MPx220, some models
• Nokia 6810
• Nokia 6820
• Nokia 9300
• Nokia 9300i
• Nokia 9500
• Nokia Eseries phones, except models Nokia E66, Nokia E71
• Qtek 9100
• Qtek 9000
• Samsung t719
• Siemens SK65
• Sony Ericsson P910
• Sony Ericsson P990
• Sony Ericsson M600i
• Sony Ericsson P1

Connecting to BlackBerry

A BlackBerry phone held in hand, showing its screen.

BlackBerry phones could connect to a company's email system using software called BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES). Versions of BES were available for different email systems like Microsoft Exchange. Companies with many users often ran BES on their own network. BlackBerry devices running BlackBerry OS 10 or later could also be managed by Microsoft Exchange.

The main job of BES was to send emails from a company mailbox to a BlackBerry phone. BES watched the user's mailbox and sent new messages to the phone. This was called push email. All new emails, contacts, and calendar entries were sent to the BlackBerry device right away.

BlackBerry also allowed internet access through a part called MDS (Mobile Data System) Connection Service. This allowed custom apps to be developed. BES also provided network security. It used Triple DES or AES encryption for all data between the BlackBerry phone and the server.

Most phone companies offered special monthly plans for unlimited data between BlackBerry phones and BES. This allowed companies to use their internal networks or custom apps without extra data charges.

Later versions of the BlackBerry platform did not always need MDS for wireless data. Starting with OS 3.8 or 4.0, BlackBerry phones could access the internet without MDS.

The main alternative to BES was the BlackBerry Internet Service (BIS). BIS was available in many countries. It was made for regular users, not just businesses. BIS let users access up to 10 email accounts, like Gmail or Yahoo. BIS also supported the "push" features of other BlackBerry apps. Apps like Instant Messaging clients (Google Talk, Windows Live Messenger) used BIS.

BlackBerry PIN

The BlackBerry PIN (Personal Identification Number) was an eight-character code given to each BlackBerry device. PINs could not be changed by users. They were linked to each specific BlackBerry phone. BlackBerry devices could send messages to each other using the PIN directly. They could also use the BlackBerry Messenger app. BlackBerry PINs helped direct messages to a BlackBerry device. Emails and other messages were usually sent to a device's PIN. In September 2012, RIM announced that the BlackBerry PIN would be replaced by users' BlackBerry ID. This started in 2013 with the BlackBerry 10 platform.

Popularity and Decline

BlackBerry phones quickly became popular in the early 2000s. By 2005, they were very influential in North America.

In 2009, RIM held 56 percent of the American smartphone market. Even though the iPhone from Apple Inc. became popular quickly, RIM remained a market leader. Their sales tripled between 2007 and 2009. The BlackBerry Curve became the best-selling smartphone in the U.S. in 2009.

Despite losing market share, the number of active BlackBerry users worldwide grew a lot over the years. For example, when the Apple iPhone first came out, RIM had 10.5 million users. By the end of 2008, when Android first appeared, BlackBerry users had grown to 21 million. After the iPhone 5 came out in September 2012, RIM's CEO announced 80 million global users.

In the early 2010s, BlackBerry struggled to compete with both the iPhone and the Android platform. After device sales peaked in 2011, their share dropped. This led to worries that the company might not survive on its own. However, it kept strong positions in some markets. BlackBerry's global user base dropped from 80 million in June 2012 to 46 million in September 2014. Its market share worldwide also fell to less than 1 percent.

By early 2016, BlackBerry's market share dropped to 0.2%. In late 2016, reports showed BlackBerry sold only about 207,900 units. This was equal to a 0.0% market share.

Indonesian Market

In 2011, BlackBerry sent 43% of all smartphones to Indonesia. By April 2014, this had fallen to 3%. The decline in Indonesia was similar to the company's global trend. BlackBerry lost market share in Indonesia even after launching the Z3 in May 2014.

Worldwide User Numbers

Here's how many active BlackBerry users there were around the world:

Government Access to Data

Research in Motion agreed to let the governments of United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia access private communications in 2010. They also agreed to this for India in 2012. These governments had threatened to ban some services if their law enforcement agencies could not read messages.

It was later revealed that American and British intelligence agencies, the National Security Agency (NSA) and the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ), could access user data on BlackBerry devices. These agencies could read almost all smartphone information. This included texts, location, emails, and notes. This access was through BlackBerry Internet Service.

BlackBerry officials stated that they did not create a "back door pipeline" to their platform. They said such a thing did not exist.

Who Used BlackBerry?

President Obama with his BlackBerry on a flight to Caen, France, June 5, 2009.

At first, BlackBerry was mostly popular with business people. But by the late 2000s, more and more regular people started using it.

The strong encryption on BlackBerry phones made them suitable for government agencies. On January 4, 2022, BlackBerry announced that older phones not running Android would no longer work.

Famous Users

Former United States president Barack Obama was known for using a BlackBerry phone. He used it a lot during his 2008 Presidential campaign. Even after becoming president, he insisted on using it despite security concerns. This was seen as a big endorsement for the brand.

Hillary Clinton also continued to use her BlackBerry after becoming Secretary of State.

Use by Government and Transportation

The West Yorkshire Police in the UK used BlackBerry devices. This helped police officers do desk work directly on their phones. It allowed more officers to be out on the streets.

In Canada, cities like Toronto gave BlackBerry devices to many employees. This included transportation and inspection staff. It helped improve communication and organize large projects.

BlackBerry also planned to move into the shipping industry. They wanted to adapt their smartphone technology for communication in freight containers.

Other Notable Users

Eric Schmidt, who was the Executive Chairman of Google, used a BlackBerry for a long time. Even though Google's Android phones competed with BlackBerry, Schmidt said he preferred the BlackBerry keyboard.

Kim Kardashian was also a BlackBerry user. In 2014, she reportedly said she loved her BlackBerry and was afraid it would "go extinct." She even kept a supply of BlackBerry Bold phones. However, she has since been seen using an iPhone.

Nigerian author Stephen Buoro wrote the first draft of his first novel on his BlackBerry.

Marketing Efforts

BlackBerry paid several famous people to promote its products. These included Alicia Keys, Jessie J, and will.i.am.

See also

In Spanish: BlackBerry para niños

• BlackBerry Limited (formerly Research in Motion)
• BlackBerry Messenger (BBM)
• BlackBerry Mobile
• Comparison of smartphones
• Index of articles related to BlackBerry OS
• List of BlackBerry products
• QWERTY
• Science and technology in Canada
• T9 (predictive text)