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BlackBerry's iconic keyboard patent has expired (mobilesyrup.com)

submitted 2 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

163 comments fedilink hide all child comments

I had two BlackBerry devices for work, right about the time they were going away. I'd heard the keyboard was good on earlier models but it seemed like the quality had gotten pretty cheap on the later phones. The BlackBerry 10 OS on my last phone was actually pretty good, and probably would've kept them in the market if they'd launched it 5 years earlier.

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[–] [email protected] 8 points 2 months ago

Blackberry's design patents have expired as well. So you can go nuts.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 2 months ago (1 children)

There have been a bunch of other phones and devices using that style of keyboard. I used a Nokia E63 for years. Were they under license? What about the one Lilygo sells now? Maybe whoever manages RIM's portfolio just stopped caring. Anyway this is kind of interesting. I always liked that keyboard.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 2 months ago

Lilygo uses old stock bb keyboards, I think. Looks exactly like the one an employer had me carry.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 2 months ago

Oooooh guuurlll!

[–] [email protected] 7 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

My 2001-era Sharp Zaurus SL-5500 PDA had the best slide out keyboard ever made, nothing has come close at all. A CF wifi card brought it so close to being a smart phone before there were smart phones.

I would buy it today as a phone if they'd just remake the original with an updated linux with QT equivalent option and updated screen hardware.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 2 months ago

remember some of the older phones had a sliding keyboard from under the phone.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

Meshtastic phoneless devices with BB keyboards, let's goooooo!

(The T-deck is kind of this, but mooooore).

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 months ago (1 children)

I was pretty good with T9 back in the day, then the keyboard on the BB Pearl changed everything. I loved the keyboard on the BB Curve the best, banged out tons of messages with friends with BB messenger.

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[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 months ago

Any takers? Any?

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Hopefully that means somebody other than Unihertz will make a keyboard phone.

I don’t need it to be super high end, I’d just rather not own a Chinese made phone with all the data they send back.

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[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 months ago (2 children)

Un popular opinion when I had to support those damn things I actually hated the keyboards, always felt the keys where too small

[–] [email protected] 7 points 2 months ago (2 children)

You need to adjust your patterns to it, but when you do, oh boy is it convenient. I still can type on it blindly almost as quick as I do with full desktop keyboard, and I'm pretty quick with that

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 months ago (1 children)

It still blows my mind how fast my friends and I were able to text on feature phones with T9.