Its incredible to think that just over 15 years ago the only people who had access to a mobile phone were the rich, the emergency services and some taxi drivers. Since the turn of the century, more and more people have made mobile phones a huge part of their lives, so much so it seems almost impossible to imagine life without them.
Just about everyone has a mobile phone these days; even my elderly neighbour has a smartphone that she takes around with her. The old, the young and all those in-between are now making use of technology that is still pretty much in its infancy.
When it comes to the world of Blackberry phone, this make of handset is still pretty new, in fact at the time of writing, the first Blackberry smart phone is just 10 years old. Blackberry, who used to be known as Research In Motion did make other devices before they developed smart phones, but they are best known for those cute but powerful phones many of us have grown to love.
But thats not all, Blackberry have somehow managed to manufacture a wide range of handsets that have become popular through-out the world and they are instantly recognisable too.
Way back in 1999, the very first Blackberry handset made its appearance on the market, but it certainly didnt look like the handsets were used to these days. The device was in fact a pager that worked two-ways so the owner could be contacted if they needed to be. The Blackberry pager had a keyboard that enabled the owner to reply to the message they had been sent.
I used to work alongside a guy in 1999 who wore his pager with pride, it never went off, but he had it ‘just in case even though it was seen as quite bizarre to have this method of communication about your person. These days pagers have almost become obsolete because thanks to mobile phones, there doesnt seem to be much need for them anymore.
The First Smartphone
Fast forward to 2003 and Blackberry decide to launch their very first smart phone. Although it wasnt considered to be a smart phone in those days, when you compare them to some of the other handsets that were out at the time, it was a pretty smart one.
This brand spanking new device allowed the users to do something quite different, using a phone wasnt just about making calls, you could also send text messages on mobiles too. Whats more is that users could also access the Internet and even send emails if they wished.
As email became more and more popular, it was a bit of genius on Blackberrys part to create a handset that allowed you to send emails as and when you pleased. This meant people could do what they had to do without having to fire up their computer. Using a mobile phone to check your emails was something many people never even considered, until it became available and they learnt how easy and convenient it was.
Way back in the early days, Blackberry handsets had monochrome screens because the technology to make colour screens for mobile phones had not been created just yet. We all know that these days every single new phone that hits the market has a colour screen, which makes it hard to imagine that not so long ago, nobody had the pleasure of looking at a colour screen on their handset.
The QWERTY keyboard still remains a feature of Blackberry phones as this is something people have come to expect from this well-known brand. There have been a few Blackberry models that dont come with a QWERTY keyboard, but they have not been too popular with customers, so for the most part Blackberry have decided to stick to giving their customers exactly what they want.
Struggles with Competitors
Although Blackberry is a well-known brand, there are a lot of competitors on the market right now, and its fair to say that our favourite manufacturer has struggled from time to time. This is because there are some very successful mobile phone companies out there and although they and Blackberry do bring out significantly different handsets, they have struggled to compete.
But Blackberry is determined not to be beaten and this is evident from the new and improved range of handsets that are currently hitting the market. Each new model comes with a lot more functions and features than older Blackberry handsets, making them somewhat irresistible to ardent fans and those who may not have considered using a Blackberry in the past.
With a built in MP3 player and an incredible amount of apps available from Blackberry World, its no wonder more and more people are now making the most of what a Blackberry device has to offer.
Leaving Troubles in The Past
At the time of writing there are 16 different Blackberry handsets on offer and the collection promises to keep growing. For a while Research In Motion (Blackberrys original name) had a bit of a reputation as there appeared to be a lot of unhappy customers who simply couldnt get their handsets to work as well as they wanted, if at all. Those who had no problems with their mobile phones would sing their praises and were adamant this brand of phone is just as good as the manufacturers made out. These days Blackberry handsets had made their past troubles just that, a thing of the past, which means every single user is now able to enjoy a great handset that comes with many different features and functions that every consumer will love.
When it comes to keeping in touch with other Blackberry users, the Blackberry messaging system is hugely popular. This Internet-based messaging system has helped to bring Blackberry users together by creating a simpler and faster way to communicate. Whats more is Blackberry Messenger (BBM) is now available on iPhones and Android phones, making it and the Blackberry brand even more popular than it ever has been.
Phil Turner didn’t realise how many Blackberry models were available until he visited this page at uSwitch http://www.uswitch.com/mobiles/manufacturers/blackberry/
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