The BlackBerry line started in 1999 as a two-way pager. It was not until 2002 that the smartphone version of the BlackBerry most consumers are familiar with hit the market. The smartphone BlackBerry was more than a phone; it allowed its users to talk, email, send and receive text messages, send internet faxes, browse the internet as well as other wireless informational services. The BlackBerry also functions as a PDA, handling an address book, calendar, to-do lists and other planning functions.
The BlackBerry was first developed by Research in Motion (RIM), a Canadian company. RIM’s design concept was a cell phone that could handle email, as it was designed to deliver information over the wireless data networks of mobile phone service providers. BlackBerry was first aimed at business professionals as a way to access their email anywhere they went, as long as the phone could access a wireless network. Now RIM allows non-BlackBerry devices email service through their BlackBerry Connect software.
When the BlackBerry was first introduced onto the market it had a monochrome screen; today all the devices feature a color screen. Although some models feature a stand phone keypad or a touch screen, the most common image that comes to mind when someone says BlackBerry is a rectangular cell phone with a color screen and the QWERTY keypad for easier email composition and text messaging.
Current BlackBerry models include the Curve 8520, Tour 9630, Storm 9530, Bold 9000, Curve 8900, Pearl Flip, Curve 8300, Pearl, and the 8800 Series smartphones. BlackBerry devices can be used on most wireless networks, including the major nationwide providers such as AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon. If you wish to know whether your wireless provider can support a BlackBerry Device contact their customer service department.
Eight years later the BlackBerry cell phone/PDA is still a popular choice for cell phone users, especially with the rise in text messaging which gives the QWERTY keypad a distinct advantage over a traditional keypad. As the wireless industry grows and changes, BlackBerry grows as well.