850 Introduction Munich Germany 1999 | Blackberry

For the first time, a Munich executive could sit in a café in Schwabing, feel the device vibrate in a jacket pocket, and discreetly read – or even reply to – an email without pulling out a laptop.

But it all traces back to that quiet Munich evening in late 1999. The 850 never sold more than a few hundred thousand units globally, but it proved one thing: blackberry 850 introduction munich germany 1999

“You don’t check email. Email checks you.” For the first time, a Munich executive could

Munich, November 1999 – The scene was uncharacteristically quiet for a tech launch. There were no screaming fans, no blue LEDs pulsing in the dark, and no app store countdowns. Instead, in a sleek, minimalist conference room at the Munich Marriott Hotel , a small group of German business executives, IT directors, and journalists sat watching a Canadian engineer demonstrate a device that looked like a cross between a TV remote and a pager. Email checks you