The BlackBerry Blues
BlackBerry stopped making phones around 2018, but unless you’re a diehard fan of the brand, you likely can’t name any of their devices after the Pearl. BlackBerry Pearl was like a fidget cube for people who loved the little clicks of the physical keyboard and the satisfaction of scrolling through their phone with the tiny trackball. It also made us feel super professional.
The company now focuses on producing software instead of cell phones. Users aren’t just missing the trackballs, trackpads, and keyboards. They miss how it kept them away from the time-suck of social media. Although BlackBerrys were communication-oriented, they often struggled to display social media apps properly, which people say turned out to be an immensely helpful distraction deterrent.