I would purchase a modern BlackBerry tomorrow if it was executed properly. Sure, nostalgia plays a role in that, but what’s really driving the throwback movement is purpose-built productivity: If you need to bang out an essay on something more robust than your phone, the reasoning goes, then it helps to have a tactile keyboard at your disposal, plus battery life for days and software that stays out of its own way. For one thing, with stories of retro-inspired DIY kits bringing back classics and renewed chatter about QWERTY phones, such a concept doesn’t seem that far removed. The issue is whether a reboot, or whatever you want to call it, can overcome fan service and address today’s users’ problems.
Why a BlackBerry comeback might appeal to users
There is an increasing hunger for purpose-built devices. Many consumers say they’re actively reducing screen time, and a physical keyboard naturally slows the doomscroll cadence. The typing experience is mindful (precise?) and perfect for email-laden days, notes, or messaging without living in a cloud of notifications.
There’s also a niche-but-not-insignificant market for non-standard form factors. Where the slider is concerned, consumers don’t re-buy handsets at nearly the same pace they used to, but Unihertz’s keyboard phones have kept selling to fans nonetheless; and there has been consistent growth in the secondary smartphone market based on longevity and value factoring into a buyer’s mix, says IDC. And a credible BlackBerry reboot fits right at the three-way intersection: purpose-made hardware, extended support, and a familiar brand as a household name for productivity.
Enterprise pull matters, too. Thanks to its reputation in security, the BlackBerry name still resonates with IT decision-makers even as the company itself transformed into cybersecurity software and the QNX platform for cars. If a hardware partner can combine modern Android with enterprise-grade management and certifications, there’s a plausible path back into corporate fleets and serious BYOD users.
What the new BlackBerry must provide to succeed
Begin with the keyboard — make it great. The best ones were capacitive, providing swipe-to-scroll, flick typing, and system-wide shortcuts. Give us customizable keys for both apps and actions, and please keep the sculpted, grippy keycaps that allow you to touch-type without looking.
Software support is non-negotiable. Google and Samsung are now offering seven years of updates on their new flagships; if you’re not getting at least five years of security patches and a few different OS upgrades, then it’s going to feel outmoded by the time it arrives. Baseline: clean Android devoid of duplicate apps, strong digital well-being tools, and compatibility with Android Enterprise Recommended should be the baseline.
Linux.com: We think security should be more than a marketing slide. Think verified boot, a hardened firmware chain, strong device attestation, and the option for FIPS-validated cryptography where necessary. Biometric consistency trumps pure speed at this time; a reliable fingerprint reader in the frame and solid face unlock are the right blend for work, play, and travel.
Specs shouldn’t be performative; they should be functional. A speedy mid-to-high-tier chipset, 8–12GB RAM, and 256GB storage should delight power users without too much BOM bloating. “We believe this is the sweet spot for readability and power consumption, and an OLED without curves, about 6 inches with 90–120Hz.” Put a 5,000mAh battery and efficient radios in it, and that’s real two-day stamina — something keyboard phones traditionally suffered to deliver.
Cameras do not need to be chart-topping, but they also cannot settle. A good enough main sensor with OIS and a fairly competent ultrawide will be just fine for docs, whiteboards, and on-the-go content. It should be able to link up with sub-6GHz 5G, run on eSIMs and support dual active profiles, Wi‑Fi 6E or better, and come preloaded with robust GNSS for fieldwork.
And then design for actual work with:
- An alert LED
- A programmable convenience key
- IP67 or higher
- Something you can feasibly take apart and repair
If Fairphone and Framework have taught the tech world anything, it’s that people will pay for repairability. Price it at $599–$799 if the device is fully updated for the next few years.
What it should not forget in a modern reboot
Skip the gimmicks. No fussy curved glass fighting your thumb, no record-scratch fragile mirror backs and no AI bloat for the sake of buzzwords. Don’t chase the 200MP camera hype or pre-bundle duplicate app stores. If any device on God’s green earth should be the cure for abstraction and overload, it is a rebooted BlackBerry.
Lessons from recent attempts to revive BlackBerry
We’ve been shown how difficult this is. An earlier attempt to reboot a BlackBerry-branded keyboard phone failed before it launched, and boutique projects like the F(x)tec Pro1‑X ran into supply chain and certification roadblocks. Brilliant hardware has a hard time scaling when there’s no carrier testing, Play certification, and a long-term software strategy.
That’s why partnerships matter: credibility of alignment, with teams from Android Enterprise to carrier labs for radio approval and established repair networks. Counterpoint Research notes that the buyer is keeping phones for longer; if you’re going to ask diehard pros to bet on esoteric hardware, you better be sure it’s not going to get left behind after a few patches.
My verdict on a potential modern BlackBerry reboot
Yes, I’d buy it — if it gets the basics right that made the brand essential in the first place and clears the bar set by today’s market leaders. Give me a best-in-class keyboard, long battery life, clear commitment to updates, and enterprise-grade security in a compact, repairable chassis and I’m sold.
Would you? If you earn a living writing, triage an inbox all day or just want a phone that prioritizes getting things done over getting distracted, there might be more than mere nostalgia in the modern BlackBerry. It might be the only smartphone that knows what it wants to say.
