Blackberry 850 Introduction 1999 Location [work] Info

The BlackBerry 850 was the foundation upon which the "CrackBerry" phenomenon was built.

The introduction of the BlackBerry 850 in Munich in January 1999 was the "Big Bang" for mobile email. While RIM was already an established engineering firm, the 850 was the consumer-facing product that turned the company into a household name. It established the form factor and functional philosophy that would dominate the smartphone market until the arrival of the iPhone in 2007. blackberry 850 introduction 1999 location

The was officially introduced to the world on January 19, 1999 . While the company, Research In Motion (RIM) , was headquartered and manufactured its devices in , Canada , the 850 was famously introduced at an event in . The Story of the BlackBerry 850 The BlackBerry 850 was the foundation upon which

The decision to launch in Germany first was strategic. At the time, Europe was ahead of North America in mobile network adoption (particularly GSM). Partnering with D2 Vodafone allowed RIM to test the "always-on" email concept on a mature network before rolling it out across North America. It established the form factor and functional philosophy

Upon its release, the 850 quickly became a status symbol for and legal professionals who needed "email on the hip". It utilized the Mobitex wireless network and featured Triple-DES encryption, laying the foundation for the security-first reputation that defined the brand for the next decade.