In this episode of Retro Chatter, Jake and ‪CrackBerry Kevin‬ discuss the Bring Back BlackBerry movement, its origins as not just a dream but also a strategic effort to revive the brand, and Kevin’s recent progress in building support through investor calls and potential board involvement.

Kevin shares insights from his trip to China, including meetings with Unihertz, iKKO, and Zinwa Technologies, where he explored upcoming QWERTY devices like the Titan 2, Mind One, and modded BlackBerry Classics (the Zinwa Q25) running modern Android.

They also delve into the ongoing QWERTY renaissance, the rise of intentional tech, and how these developments validate the enduring demand for physical keyboards and productivity-focused devices.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit returningretro.substack.com

In this episode of Retro Chatter, Jake interviews Chris and Sebastian, co-founders of Side Technologies, about a modular mobile phone called Sidephone!

Have questions about Sidephone? https://www.reddit.com/r/Sidephone/ Join the Returning Retro adventure! https://www.reddit.com/r/ReturningRetro/ Keywords Sidephone, Retro Chatter podcast, intentional tech, modular phone, Side Technologies, QWERTY keyboard phone, digital detox, smartphone alternatives, BlackBerry nostalgia, tech podcast 2025, Returning Retro, SureType keyboard, community-driven tech, pre-order Sidephone, minimalist phone, retro tech trends, Japan tech reveal, smartphone addiction, productivity tech, Reddit Sidephone

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit returningretro.substack.com

In this inaugural episode of Retro Chatter, Jake interviews Kevin Michaluk, also known as CrackBerry Kevin (CBK), the founder of CrackBerry.com and a longstanding figure in the world of BlackBerry. The episode dives into the resurgence of QWERTY keyboards in 2025, and Kevin discusses his journey from running CrackBerry.com, a hub for BlackBerry enthusiasts, to co-founding Clicks Technology in 2024, which brought QWERTY keyboards to iPhones and Android devices.

Jake and Kevin also discuss the cultural and practical appeal of physical keyboards, the decline of BlackBerry’s hardware division, and the challenges of reviving the technology, delving into Kevin’s journey beyond BlackBerry and the evolving landscape of intentional technology.

Episode mentions:CrackBerry: https://www.crackberry.com/Zinwa Q25 Project: https://linkapus.com/Sidephone: https://www.sidephone.com/iKKO Mind One: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ikko/ikko-mind-one-ai-smartphone/The Minimal Phone: https://minimalcompany.com/Clicks Keyboard Cases: https://www.clicks.tech/Mr. Mobile: https://www.youtube.com/@themrmobile/Punkt./ApostrophyOS: https://mc02.punkt.ch/en/mc02-5g-secure-phone/3 Things That Could Have Saved BlackBerry: https://crackberry.com/how-blackberry-could-have-saved-itself-3-swings-they-should-have-took-and-struck-out/

Keywords:CrackBerry Kevin, BlackBerry 2025, QWERTY keyboard, Clicks Technology, Retro Chatter podcast, BlackBerry comeback, smartphone keyboards, intentional tech, BlackBerry Bold 9000, CrackBerry.com history, physical keyboard phones, Gen Z tech trends, TikTok BlackBerry, smartphone nostalgia, tech podcast 2025, BlackBerry 10 legacy, mobile tech history, retro tech revival, iPhone keyboard accessory, Android keyboard case, Retro Chatter podcast, BlackBerry alternatives 2025, Clicks keyboard, intentional tech, productivity-focused devices, QWERTY keyboard phones, Mobile Nations, Mr. Mobile, digital detox, Unihertz Titan 2, Zinwa BlackBerry, smartphone nostalgia, tech creator community, crowd equity fundraising, BlackBerry Classic, retro tech trends, iPhone keyboard accessory, Android keyboard case, tech podcast 2025

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit returningretro.substack.com