BlackBerries & the Evolution of the Not So Smart, Smart Phone

Where It All Began 

The first working prototype of a mobile cell phone was created in 1973 by Motorola engineer Dr. Martin Cooper and his team. The first-ever cell phone call was made in New York City – Dr. Cooper called a rival researcher from Bell Labs. 

The first cell phone wasn’t approved by the Federal Communications Commission until 1983. It was called the Motorola DynaTAC 8000X and nicknamed “the brick” because it weighed nearly two pounds. 

In 1992, IBM engineer Frank Canova created a smartphone prototype, considered to be the first true smartphone. It was demonstrated at a tradeshow that year, but it wouldn’t hit the market for consumers until 1994. This was called the IBM Simon Personal Communicator. 

It had a touchscreen and users could not only make phone calls but also receive faxes and emails. IBM Simon also introduced the first apps, like an address book, calendar, calculator, appointment scheduler, and notepad. The phone cost $1,099 at the time and sold 50,000 units in the first six months.

The term “smartphone” was first used officially in 1997 by Swedish telecommunications company Ericsson to describe its new mobile device called GS88. 

BlackBerry Madness 

The first BlackBerry pager, called the BlackBerry 850, was released on January 19, 1999, by the communication company Research In Motion (RIM). This was introduced as "a breakthrough wireless email solution for mobile professionals." The BlackBerry 850 wasn't a phone, but a two-way pager with email capability. 

This device quickly became popular on Wall Street, in law firms, and among other white-collar office workers because of its email accessibility. This device was so popular that RIM's revenue skyrocketed to $85 million after its release. This was an 80% increase. Executives became loyal BlackBerry users and recommended the device to their employees.  

The first BlackBerry phone was released in 2002. This was the BlackBerry 5810. It had internet and email capability and an external headset for making calls. Because of its internet and email capability and the ability to talk to other people, this phone became incredibly popular and addictive. People were so obsessed with the BlackBerry that users referred to it as “Crackberry.” In 2006, the Webster’s New World College Dictionary chose “Crackberry” as its word of the year. 

The most addictive part of the BlackBerry was BBM, or BlackBerry Messenger. Although the first BlackBerry was released in 2002, BBM didn’t come along until 2005. This private messaging service was unique at the time because it combined existing quick messaging paradigms, instant messengers like AIM and Yahoo Messenger, and SMS. Unlike SMS, BBM was free and included within the data plan that every BlackBerry user had to purchase to purchase the phone. 

This meant that BlackBerry users didn’t have to pay five to ten cents per message like other texters, so they sent way more texts. A normal wireless user might send a few hundred SMS messages in a month, depending on their plan, but BlackBerry users could send and receive hundreds of messages a day. BBM users could also talk one-on-one or in groups and send pictures and files. It was iMessage before iMessage. 

BBM was the originator of being “left of read” since it was able to let users know when their messages were both delivered and read. BBM also allowed users to send messages all over the world at a time when international SMS and voice phone calls were expensive and hard to come by. 

BBM only worked on BlackBerries, so only people with BlackBerries could communicate via BBM. Instead of using a phone number or email, BlackBerry users were given an eight-digit PIN instead. 

BlackBerry and its BBM feature-inspired services like iMessage, WhatsApp, and Kik. WhatsApp was first released to the iOS App Store in November 2009. Unlike BBM, this service was cross-platform, and users were able to download it on Apple, Symbian, Android, and even BlackBerry devices. WhatsApp also has users’ phone numbers as their PINs, so it’s extremely similar to standard text messaging. 

This proved that people wanted the BBM-like experience but didn’t want to have to own a BlackBerry to get it. By 2011, over 60 million people were using BBM, but the iPhone had cemented itself as one of the most important and popular devices in tech history. 

So, when BlackBerry made BBM cross-platform in 2013, no one cared.  By 2013, RIM accounted for less than six percent of the U.S. smartphone market. In 2022, the company finally discontinued support for all its phones. 

What was once something for high-profile businessmen and rich celebrities became obsolete and extinct.

iPhones are the Dumbest Smartphone 

The iPhone was first released in 2007. The first iPhone was a hit, but the second generation, called the iPhone 3G, released in 2008, was even more popular. It featured 3G connectivity, GPS, and the App Store, which allowed users to download third-party apps. 

There have been over 17 versions of the iPhone, so instead of going through all of the iPhones ever, I will just highlight a few of my favorite phones. 

The most unique and probably iconic iPhone is the iPhone 5c, which was released in 2013. These phones were available in blue, green, pink, yellow, and white at a time when iPhones only came in black or silver. 

My favorite iPhone of all time is the iPhone 6 Plus. Many people agree with me because even though they bent in pockets, the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus are the best-selling smartphones. 

In 2017, the BBC released an article titled, “Apple’s iPhones slowed to tackle ageing batteries.” This article explains that many customers have suspected that Apple slows down older iPhones to encourage people to upgrade, and the company confessed to slowing down some models as they age. They swear this is only because the phones’ battery performance diminishes over time. 

This was confirmed after a customer shared performance tests on Reddit, suggesting their iPhone 6S had slowed down considerably as it had aged, but had suddenly sped up again after the battery had been replaced. Technology website Geekbench then analyzed several iPhones running different versions of the iOS operating system and found some of them did indeed appear to have been deliberately slowed down.

Apple has now confirmed that it made changes to iOS to manage aging lithium-ion batteries in some devices, since the batteries' performance diminishes over time. The “slowdown” is meant to lengthen the phones' lifespan by having them work more slowly. Apple was still accused of tampering with the performance of iPhones without telling its customers, which led to legal action. 

Apple agreed to settle the lawsuit in 2020, stating at the time it denied any wrongdoing but was concerned with the cost of continuing litigation. The BBC released another article in January 2024 titled, “Apple pays out over claims it deliberately slowed down iPhones.” This article explains that complainants will receive a cut of a $500 million settlement, which works out to around $92.00 per claim. 

I feel like my iPhone 6 was a victim of this “slowdown,” and I am extremely distraught by this. 

Forbes just released an article on March 18 stating that the latest update, iOS 18.3.2, was released on March 11, and users reported that Apple Mail isn’t working properly and email notifications aren’t being pushed correctly. 

Not So Socially Conscious 

As helpful as they are, smartphones do cause harm, and smartphone addiction is a serious mental health issue impacting millions of users worldwide. This addiction can cause poor sleep quality and lead to heightened levels of stress, anxiety, and depression. 

According to the Pew Research Center, most teens have a smartphone, and nearly half say they’re online almost constantly. A center survey conducted in 2024 included teens in the U.S. ages 13 to 17 and revealed that 73% of teens said they went on YouTube daily, making YouTube the most widely used and visited platform asked about. 

About six-in-ten visit TikTok daily, which includes 16% who report being on it almost constantly. Roughly half of teens say they go on Instagram or Snapchat every day, including about one-in-ten who say they’re on each of these platforms almost constantly. 

Another survey conducted by the Pew Research Center studied how parents and teens feel about smartphones. In this survey, 38% of teens said they spent too much time on their smartphones. Teen girls are more likely to admit that they spend too much time on their phones. 

Roughly three-quarters of teens said not having their phones made them feel happy or peaceful. Approximately 44% of teens said not having their phones made them feel anxious, 40% said it made them feel upset, and 39% said it made them feel lonely. 

Although there may be some negative emotions attached to it, most teens find smartphones beneficial. In this survey, seven out of ten teens said that their phone was more beneficial than harmful, while 30% said phones did more harm than good. 69% of teens also revealed it was easier for them to pursue hobbies, and 65% agreed it was easier for them to be creative using a smartphone. Almost half of the teens say these devices have made it easier to do well in school. 

Not to sound like a boomer, but phones are so different nowadays. I know I had an iPhone in high school, and most social media was already pretty popular at that time, but it all just seems a lot bigger nowadays. And for some reason, I want to blame the iPhone for that. I feel like the BlackBerry wouldn’t have done this to me.