r/blackberry
Built a small helper app based on u/Damo2000Pippa's voice guide — makes setup much easier!
Huge thanks to u/Damo2000Pippa for his guide on bringing Voice Assistant & Dictation back to life!
To make his method much easier for everyone to set up, I built a simple helper app:
- Root required: Needed for system-level triggers.
- BYO API Key: Bring your own API key for cloud speech recognition.
- Local Processing: Command rules are parsed and processed locally on the device.
👉 Download: Available now in App World (https://cyberberry.vercel.app)
u/jxw1102 — 4 days ago
▲ 159 r/blackberry
Giving my BlackBerry its phone calls and SMS back
BlackBerry devices never got VoLTE, so once 2G and 3G are switched off they can still browse but can’t call or text.
I moved the missing piece outside the phone. A Quectel EC20 4G modem with a SIM handles VoLTE. Asterisk with chan_quectel sits in front of it. The BlackBerry runs a SIP app I wrote (SipLine) and talks to Asterisk like a normal VoIP phone. A playit.gg relay makes the server reachable on mobile data, no public IP or port forwarding.
Calls in and out go through the SIM, so the other side sees my normal number. SMS both ways shows up in the app.
Details at: https://www.patreon.com/CyberBerry/posts/giving-my-its-171470546
u/jxw1102 — 10 days ago
Tale of the Tape: 2026 "Blackberry-style" Keyboard Phones
| Feature | Unihertz Titan 2 Elite | Clicks Communicator | Minimal MP02 | Zinwa Q27 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Final starting MSRP (USD) | $489.99 (Pro: $579.99) | $649.00 | $699.00 | $420 Early-bird, no final pricing yet |
| Materials | Aluminum + glass back | Polycarbonate | One-piece Aluminum | Aluminum frame + glass back |
| Capacitive Touch Scrolling | Yes | Yes | Yes | Unknown (trackpad shown) |
| Display | 4.03-inch 120Hz AMOLED (1080 × 1200) | 4.03-inch 120hz AMOLED (1080 x 1200) | 3.92-inch 90Hz "2.5D" AMOLED (1080x1200) | 4" 90Hz AMOLED (1080×1240) |
| Processor | MediaTek Dimensity 7400 (8400 on Pro) | Dimensity 8300 | MediaTek Dimensity 8300 | Dimensity 7300 |
| RAM & Storage | 12GB RAM / 256GB storage, expandable (512GB on Pro) | 12GB RAM / 256GB storage, expandable | Up to 12GB RAM / 512GB storage | 12GB RAM / 256GB storage, expandable |
| Battery & Charging | 4050 mAh (33W wired, no wireless) | 4350 mAh /Qi2 wireless | 3600 mAh (27W Wired/Qi 15W Wireless) | 4000 mAh (33W Wired/Qi2 15W Wireless) |
| Operating System | Android 16 (5-yr updates) | Android 17 (5 years) | Minimal OS (Android-based) | Android 16 Open-Source |
| Expected Release | Already out (Pro expected before Dec) | First shipments expected Dec | First shipments expected Dec | "We do not have an exact ship date yet (We are hoping to start in December)" |
It's getting difficult to decide between these phones, but I put this table together as there hasn't been anything recent to compare the more finalized specs between them all. I have a Titan 2 Elite, but once everything is released and reviewed I may go to something different.
The Minimal catches my attention a lot for the build design and de-Googled options, but the smaller battery and lack of expandable storage has me skeptical. The Clicks originally piqued my interest, but the price going up to $650 USD is harder to justify when it's largely going to be the same spec sheet as the others, and Clicks doesn't have the greatest track record in terms of build quality and customer support for their cases/power keyboard. Such is the way of upstart/niche companies, it's unfortunately not going be a case of going to a local store and seeing how they all feel in the hand, which I do think is going to be the deciding factor on which one is best.
It's a good year to be a fan of physical keyboard phones, but man, it's getting harder to figure out which one is worth putting money down for.
u/calicohorse — 12 days ago
▲ 27 r/blackberry
Root opened the floodgates — so why is everyone building the same apps?
Root has made the community genuinely active again, which is great. People are shipping things and these phones feel worth working on.
But almost all of that energy is landing on the same targets. I’ve already seen multiple app stores, Telegram clients, YouTube clients, map apps, and Beeper clients. Every one of them is the same idea started over.
The gaps on these devices are still huge. Another client for an app that already has two or three doesn’t fill any of them.
Why do we keep rebuilding the same things instead of picking something that isn’t covered yet?
u/jxw1102 — 10 days ago
▲ 3 r/blackberry
Blackberry Classic keyboard replacements
I'm trying to find a blue keyboard for my Q20 I want one that mimics the look of the OEM blue keyboard with the chrome trim between the keys and around the trackpad, anyone know where to buy?
u/LolBurger95 — 9 days ago
▲ 9 r/blackberry
Software/UI + Keyboard
Who can come close to BB not in terms of pkb but software & UI. Whoever provides the best customisation and privacy will become the long-term player. Blackberry was not only about its pkb but its software too.
Before booking mp2 I took my time to study Q27, T2E, CC, Q25 and realised these have worked on physical aspect of the phone but not on the UI or software. A phone becomes iconic only when the hardware and software sync to make one great user experience. BlackBerry was iconic not only because it has a great keyboard but it's ui/software made it an unforgettable experience. Also it's was the same reason for its downfall. People are unable to leave 🍎 ecosystem not because of the hardware or camera but coz of the software and how it has been embedded. Look I may be wrong but just my thoughts.
It was MP2 software customization that made me book it. The way you can block or degoogle it makes it a compelling choice. What are your thoughts would love to hear 👂
u/Desi-batman — 10 days ago
▲ 8 r/blackberry
kybd launcher
Work realities mean I can't really get a phone with a physical keyboard - my job forces me to stick with a regular smartphone. But that doesn't mean my home screen can't rock a QWERTY keyboard!
Link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.leimo.kybdlauncher
u/denis_zak — 10 days ago