The Original BlackBerry Was Ahead of Its Time

I had a Blackberry, even one of the ones that were pager sized. This line from Tareq’s story resonated with me:

Today, like the clothes we wear or the cars we drive, the brand of smartphone, its model, and its age all act as a reflection of who we are and how we want to express ourselves.

The difference with the Blackberry age was that the social layer wasn’t quite here yet, and networked cameras weren’t a thing yet. The Blackberry was an in person signal of “status.” The new iPhone 11’s key feature is the camera, which expresses itself on Instagram — I’m seen by my friends as having the best camera because of bokeh and crazy effects and night mode.

(Hey look, blogging!)