2024-04-02 19:06:49
The BlackBerry, recognized as the pioneer of smartphones, achieved great popularity in the 2000s. However, to date, the company decided to cease production. Which was the reason?
In the early 2000s, one device revolutionized the way the world viewed mobile phones and communication in general: the BlackBerry. This innovative device not only transformed the business sector, but also became a cultural symbol, an icon of status and connectivity. However, despite its initial success and popularity, this phone was discontinued.
What year was the BlackBerry launched?
The company’s first device was the BlackBerry 850, released in 1999. This mobile phone had a full keyboard, something unusual at the time. It offered real-time email services and internet access. Its instant messaging system, BlackBerry Messenger (BBM), allowed users to communicate quickly and securely.
Who was its creator?
The brand was developed by the Canadian company Research In Motion, better known as RIM, in 1984 by entrepreneurs Jim Balsillie and Mike Lazaridis. They were pioneers of their time in recognizing the importance of efficient mobile communication in an increasingly interconnected world.
In 1999, Mike Lazaridis discovered an unused band of Internet that could be used at no cost, ideal for sending and receiving emails. From this discovery, he developed a portable device that combined the functionalities of a pager and a mobile phone, equipped with a full keyboard.
The BlackBerry had a PIN that allowed messages to be sent free of charge from one device to another. Photo: Tech Advisor
What did ‘give me your PIN’ mean?
The BlackBerry PIN was a personal identification code different from the telephone number, intended exclusively for users of the brand’s devices. This code facilitated chat between people and allowed messages to be sent at no cost from one device to another.
Why did it stop selling?
The BlackBerry failed to compete against the entry of Apple and Google into the mobile market. Both Apple’s iPhone and Google’s Android operating system offered a superior user experience and a greater variety of applications; For this reason, the majority of consumers chose to try other alternatives other than the BlackBerry.
Lazaridis had even wrongly anticipated the failure of one of his competitors, saying: “It doesn’t have a keyboard, no person wants to type on a screen. It is impossible to write there. “It will be a failure.”
What happened to the company?
In 2013, under the management of Thorsten Heins, the company tried to increase its sales with the launch of the BlackBerry 10 operating system. Unfortunately, the effort was in vain, since the iPhone had already established itself as the favorite phone on the market.
Importantly, before its demise in early 2022, the company sold all of its patents for an approximate sum of $600 million.