Most people stopped using BlackBerry phones around five years ago. But then again, most people aren’t Kim Kardashian West, who to this day continues to use a BlackBerry Bold for emails and calls.
Since that model has long ceased to be produced, whenever her phone breaks she has to source a replacement from eBay. This puts Kim in a bit of a dilemma, as even pre-owned BlackBerry Bold phones are getting harder and harder to find.
When her last working handset bit the dust last night, it sent poor Kim into a bit of a tailspin.
Sooo my blackberry bold died. I can't find anymore on ebay. I knew this day would come & to be honest I'm prepared. But the question is….
— Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) August 3, 2016
Do I try a different kind of blackberry? Or ditch it all together? Or a different phone like Samsung?
— Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) August 3, 2016
I need 2 phones. Because I love having 2 different phone services so I always have a working phone.
— Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) August 3, 2016
or another option is having 2 iPhones. I really want my blackberry bold though. Reality is starting to set in & I'm getting sad
— Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) August 3, 2016
— Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) August 3, 2016
Twitter then jumped into the fray, with advice that could be summed up as “get an iPhone”. Profound.
@KimKardashian Hi Kim! It's me, Dave. Buy an iPhone! You'll love iOS.
— Dave Smith (@redletterdave) August 3, 2016
@KimKardashian why not an iPhone?
— Marleena ? (@lesboskywalker) August 3, 2016
While opportunists in the Kardashian fandom saw it as an opportunity to offload their old phones that have been gathering dust.
@KimKardashian I have a BlackBerry Bold that I'll sell you. Just let me know the price and I'll arrange shipping.
— Dennis Bowles (@DennisBowles) August 4, 2016
You know what? I’m with Kim on this one. Although the capabilities of BlackBerry phones have long been surpassed by handsets built by Apple and Samsung, they’re essentially good phones. Not flashy, but good.
Tapping out an email on a physical keyboard is immensely satisfying. Virtual keyboards just don’t come close. Sure, there’s no Pokémon Go or Snapchat, but it has Bubble Buster and BBM. What more do you need?
For years I owned a Bold 9780, followed by a Q10. I only made the switch to Android in 2015, after I lost the latter in a taxi on a drunken night out, and didn’t feel like spending $500 on a new phone. Like Kim, I still dearly miss mine.
If you’ve got a spare BlackBerry to sell, you can tweet Kim Kardashian here.
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