‘This was peak technology’: Gen Z is bringing back the BlackBerry

It’s 2009. Everyone is rocking ankle socks. “TikTok,” is just a Ke$ha song. You pull out your BlackBerry Bold 9700 and update your BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) status. All is well.

Before the iPhone, the BlackBerry was the “it” phone. At its peak in the early 2000s, BlackBerry commanded over 50% of the U.S. and 20% of the global smartphone market. But times changed. Physical keyboards gave way to touchscreens, and eventually, BlackBerry discontinued support for its classic phones in 2022.

But this isn’t where the story ends.

The 2000s have since made a comeback. As The New York Times recently reported, “Everything Millennial Is Cool Again.” Adding to that list, I’m happy to report, is the humble BlackBerry.

“Getting a blackberry bold just because,” one TikTok user posted, holding up a BlackBerry Bold they purchased on eBay for $40. “This is a sentence I never thought I would say, especially not in 2025,” another wrote, unboxing a second-hand BlackBerry Bold 9900. “I got a Blackberry.”

She goes on to explain: “My first phone was an iPhone in 6th grade so I never got the chance to get a Blackberry like I always wanted. This has always been a dream of mine.”

The hashtag #blackberry on TikTok now has over 125K posts, with users sharing their retro finds and long-forgotten phones pulled from drawers—including models like the BlackBerry Classic Q20 and a lilac BlackBerry Curve.

Just in time for Digital Detox Summer, Gen Z is putting down their iPhones and bringing back flip phones and trackpads. “POV: you bought a blackberry in 2025 bc your iPhone is ruining your life,” one post with 6.4 million views reads. “This was PEAK technology,” a commenter wrote. “BlackBerry has the opportunity to make an amazing comeback,” another added.

A recent Reddit post hinted that might just be in the cards. Reddit user u/coldheartedsigma shared a since-deleted post to the r/BlackBerry subreddit but kept most of the details vague, citing an NDA. While some were skeptical, others couldn’t contain their excitement. “Please be real,” one wrote. “Color me interested if this ever actually materializes,” another added.

Whether or not the rumors pan out, Gen Z is bringing back the BlackBerry either way—even if it’s just to take a break from scrolling TikTok to play BrickBreaker.

https://www.fastcompany.com/91350858/gen-z-is-bringing-back-the-blackberry?partner=rss&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss+fastcompany&utm_content=rss