BlackBerry devices were prized by government officials for their security features before, but now, the smartphones are not as popular as before. So U.S. President Obama is now ditching his BlackBerry for another, but there is one catch – his new “smartphone” does not exactly have the features of a smartphone.
Obama’s new phone is too basic
Obama told Jimmy Fallon during an appearance on The Tonight Show that he now carries an unnamed smartphone instead of his BlackBerry. President Obama is not at all pleased with his new phone. He told the talk show host that his new smartphone cannot take pictures, send texts, make phone calls or even play music.
During his appearance on The Tonight Show, Obama said that when he received the phone, he was told, “Mr. President, it doesn’t take pictures, can’t text and the phone doesn’t work … .. you can’t play your music on it. Basically it is like does your three year old one of those play phones?”
Obama mentioned on the show that he watches enviously as the first lady and his daughters use modern smartphones while he is forced to use a feature-poor device.
For years, the commander-in-chief has been joking about his awful phone situation. When he came into office, his BlackBerry was considered surprisingly high-tech, but soon, the situation changed. President Obama has been calling his BlackBerry “no fun” since 2010, and then a few years ago, he lamented that he could not use an iPhone due to security reasons.
Which brand has Obama upgraded to from BlackBerry?
The president did not disclose the name or brand of the smartphone he is using currently, and it appears like pretty much anything is a possibility now. The White House was testing Android phones for secure usage, reported The Wall Street Journal in 2014. In addition, The New York Times said in April that some White House staffers were upgrading to iPhones.
At that time, the Times said the President was still using a specially modified, highly secure BlackBerry. Therefore, either Obama has moved on from that smartphone in the months since or upgraded from his old BlackBerry to a new BlackBerry. However, Obama made it clear on the show that he is finally done with his old smartphone.
Nevertheless, the commander-in-chief need not be worried though as in just a matter of months, his term as president will be over, and he will leave the White House to get back to being a “high tech guy.”
