Recently, BlackBerry unveiled a new BlackBerry. I know that probably looks a little off, but it’s honestly the best way to put it, I think. On December 17 they unveiled the BlackBerry “Classic,” and the name is so obvious it probably took the designers forever to think of it. The Classic embodies just about everything that built BlackBerry back-in-the-day. It can be whittled down to two paramount features: a keyboard and trackpad.
That’s basically it, isn’t it? It’s honestly a very confusing device. I’m not sure that BlackBerry even ever planned on having it actually compete against other flagship models of 2014, because there’s just no way it can. When your boldest, brightest features are elements of phones older than five years, I just can’t see the point. Yes, the BlackBerry Classic (probably) has a great keyboard, and I’m sure the trackpad is awesome for what it is.
But I’ve moved on.
I moved on years ago. It has gotten to the point where I don’t even miss physical keyboards anymore, simply because I’ve adapted to the software variants that fill our giant touchscreens. And a trackpad? I smile when I think about a trackpad because it’s all about the reminiscing, but there’s just no way that I’d go back to it.
I know that there are people out there who want a physical keyboard still, and that’s understandable. I know a few people who have told me in the past that they’d switch back to a physical keyboard if they could. But the thing holding them back was the display size. They’ve been trapped in the “must have giant displays” camp, and they’ve been swayed by the massive high-definition panels. So, those folks who wanted physical keyboards have traded in those dreams for the reality of a giant screen to watch and read and whatever else.
The Classic has the ability to download apps not only from BlackBerry’s digital storefront, but also from the Google Play store. Effectively, this means that all of the productivity stuff comes from BlackBerry, and all of the “fun stuff” comes from Google and its Android apps. That’s a nice idea, but I think a lot of people might still get their productivity stuff from Google, too. So in that case, it’s all about the BlackBerry Classic for its hardware, and is there anyone out there that’s actually buying it?
The Classic is a shoutout to the days of old, and a testament to the power that BlackBerry used to wield. It’s a great device, as long as you’re not actually looking at the other handsets on the market. However, with that being said, I know that there is someone out there, maybe even a few people, who just look at that keyboard and have to have it.
And so I want to know if anyone out there is actually going to buy a BlackBerry Classic and use it as their daily driver. I want to know what swayed your decision. So let me know.