BlackBerry OS

This article is about the older BlackBerry OS. For the QNX-based mobile operating system formerly called "BBX", see BlackBerry 10.

BlackBerry OS
BlackBerry OS logo
DeveloperBlackBerry Limited
Written inC++ before 2002, Java since 2002[1]
OS familyMobile operating systems
Working stateDiscontinued (replaced by BlackBerry 10; and Android)
Source modelClosed source
Initial releaseJanuary 19, 1999; 25 years ago (1999-01-19) (as Version 1.0 for BlackBerry 850 pager)[2]
March 4, 2002; 22 years ago (2002-03-04) (as Version 3.6 for BlackBerry 5810 smartphone)[3][4]
Latest release7.1.0.2931 (BlackBerry 9790/9900)[5] / November 2013; 10 years ago (2013-11)
Marketing targetSmartphone
Available inMultilingual
Package managerBlackBerry Desktop Manager
PlatformsBlackBerry line of smartphones
Kernel typeProprietary
Default
user interface		Java virtual machine
LicenseProprietary
Succeeded byBlackBerry 10
Official websitehttp://us.blackberry.com/software/smartphones.html (Archive)
Support status
Unsupported

BlackBerry OS was a proprietary mobile operating system developed by Canadian company BlackBerry Limited for its BlackBerry line of smartphone handheld devices. The operating system provides multitasking and supports specialized input devices adopted by BlackBerry for use in its handhelds, particularly the trackwheel, trackball, and most recently, the trackpad and touchscreen.

The BlackBerry platform natively supports corporate email, through Java Micro Edition MIDP 1.0 and, more recently, a subset of MIDP 2.0, which allows complete wireless activation and synchronization with Microsoft Exchange, Lotus Domino, or Novell GroupWise email, calendar, tasks, notes and contacts, when used with BlackBerry Enterprise Server. The operating system also supports WAP 2.0.

Updates to the operating system were automatically available from wireless carriers that supported the BlackBerry over the air software loading (OTASL) service.

Third-party developers wrote software using the available BlackBerry API classes, although applications that made use of certain functionality needed to be digitally signed.

Research from June 2011 indicated that approximately 45% of mobile developers were using the platform.[6]

BlackBerry OS was discontinued after the release of BlackBerry 10 in January 2013,[7] and support for it ceased on January 4, 2022.[8]

  1. ^ "Can I make C++ programs for BlackBerry (examples?) - Stack Overflow". August 2009. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
  2. ^ PhoneDB. "Headlines - OS Specs - PhoneDB - The Largest Phone Specs Database". pdadb.net.
  3. ^ PhoneDB. "RIM BlackBerry 5810 - Device Specs - PhoneDB". pdadb.net.
  4. ^ "BlackBerry 5810 Wireless Handheld™ e BlackBerry 5820 Wireless Handheld™" (PDF). nist.gov. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 17, 2008.
  5. ^ "NEW OS 7.1.0.1098 (All Lang) FROM O2 UK - BlackBerry Forums at CrackBerry.com". forums.crackberry.com.
  6. ^ "Developer Economics 2011". Archived from the original on September 29, 2013. Retrieved July 8, 2011.
  7. ^ BlackBerry (November 12, 2012). "BlackBerry 10 handsets confirmed for January 30 launch". Telegraph. Retrieved January 18, 2013.
  8. ^ "BlackBerry 10 and BlackBerry OS Services FAQ — End of Life". www.blackberry.com. Retrieved October 31, 2022.