Background. In November 2021, my long-time loyalty to the BlackBerry cell phone ended. Not by choice, mind you – my carrier, Verizon, stopped supporting the phone on their network. And a startup company that promised a new 5G BlackBerry was nothing more than vaporware.
So I purchased a Google Pixel 6 Pro – at the time, the most advanced cell phone out there – and tossed my still-working-as-far-as-I-was-concerned BlackBerry KEYone into a drawer.
That was in November 2021.
It’s nearly August 2023 … and I found the KEYone in the drawer. Just for a lark … let’s power it up and see if there’s anything I can still do with it.
Surprisingly … it still took a charge. And it booted up. Not bad for a phone that was considered state-of-the-art in 2017.
But then, as I went through the phone’s programs and apps … I discovered that what could still work in 2021 might be woefully inadequate in 2023.
Let’s see. I couldn’t access Facebook, in that whatever API Facebook used in 2021 was no longer compatible with my BlackBerry interface. And mind you, this was one of the later model Berries that was built with an Android framework.
Let’s check out my options for Twitter. Oh, sorry, Elon. X. Nope. Whatever Elon Musk did to Twitter / X between 2021 and 2023, it’s caused the Twitter on my BlackBerry to brick.
Even my Gmail account on the Berry was barfing – lots of “I can’t access your email due to insecure platform” messages. Oh, great. The phone I once treasured as a barrier against malicious attackers was now about as effective as the Maginot Line.
So let’s focus on what DOES still work on this phone. Surprisingly, all my astrophotography apps are not only working, but are working well – PhotoPills and Night Sky and a few others. And the camera on this phone still works and can still film movies and video. I just won’t be able to share those videos online until I get the camera home and plug it into a USB port and upload the data to a computer or laptop.
Okay. So let’s take into account what this means.
I now have an emergency app that still works for astrophotography and night sky shots and eclipse tracking. Which is beneficial with two eclipses and a meteor shower in the next 12 months. I can keep this in the camera bag and use it as necessary.
I mean … it’s not great … but it’s better than nothing. And an extra option is better than no option at all.
Oh, and one other thing with this phone … something that totally surprised me when I first powered the phone up.
It’s the physical keyboard.
After two years of typing on the Google Pixel 6 Pro screen … typing on a PKB felt strange. Clunky. Unnatural. Almost like I had un-learned how to Berry-type.
I did not expect this. Not at all. Not one bit.
So what do I do at this point? Toss the BlackBerry back in the drawer and call it a day? Take the phone over to a recycling center so that the rare minerals inside the cell phone could be safely extracted? Find a tiny Torx screwdriver and do a little tear-down of the unit?
I’ll think of something. I mean … there’s no harm in bringing the phone as an extra camera. And if anybody does try to rob me and take my cell phone, I’ll give the Berry to them and let them figure it out as I quickly run away.
We shall see.
Chuck The Writer 
I understand your attachment. But I say ditch the battery, spiff up the unit, mount it in a shadow box and keep it on display.
I did something similar with my very first cell phone, a Motorola C155: launched 2004, 98 x 67 pixels, no camera, back when texting = tap, tap, tapping on numbers to create a brief message.
For me it’s a reminder of how “far” I’ve proudly come, albeit kicking and screaming, in this ever-changing world of technology.
It sits on the mantel next to my very first (~ 65 y.o.) baseball mitt, and often prompts a smile.
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Odd, the Facebook app still works on mine. Just used it the other day. Everything I need works still. Mind you I don’t use a lot of apps, just Facebook, a news app, my pharmacy app and a few other odds and ends.
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