Obama upgrades from BlackBerry but admits his new phone is far from smart

[midian182]

Back when Barack Obama was inaugurated as president in 2009, BlackBerry was the cell phone manufacturer of choice for most government officials. Obama himself has used one throughout his time in office, but, as the company’s share of the smartphone market continues to decrease, a number of high-ranking people are moving away from the devices. Now, it appears the president has finally waved goodbye to BlackBerry.

Speaking to Jimmy Fallon during an appearance on the Tonight show, Obama said he now carries an unnamed smartphone. But for security reasons, the device is like a “3-year-old’s play phone,” in that it can’t take photos, play music, send texts, or even make calls.

Obama said he considered himself a “cool, high-tech guy” when he arrived at the White House and was a fan of BlackBerrys even before his time as president, but in 2010 he admitted that his presidential BB device, which allowed him to communicate with just ten individuals, was “no fun.”

In a 2013 speech to a youth audience, Obama claimed: "I'm not allowed for security reasons to have an iPhone," though the Wall Street Journal reported in 2014 that the White House was testing smartphones from Samsung and LG for internal use.

With Obama’s second term coming to an end, the president will soon be able to join his wife and daughters in enjoying all that modern smartphones have to offer, and won’t be stuck with a mobile device that’s comparable to a child’s toy.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/65189-obama-upgrades-blackberry-but-admits-new-phone-far.html

 

[Uncle Al]

Ahhhhh ..... the perks of office just ain't always perks after all!

 

[Theinsanegamer]

"it can’t take photos, play music, send texts, or even make calls"

So, what CAN it do? play flappy bird?

 

[cliffordcooley]

But for security reasons, the device is like a “3-year-old’s play phone,” in that it can’t take photos, play music, send texts, or even make calls.

And they call it a phone?

 

[Sancticide]

But for security reasons, the device is like a “3-year-old’s play phone,” in that it can’t take photos, play music, send texts, or even make calls.

And they call it a phone?

Yeah, at that point, it's a pocket email device.

 

[OgnDulk]

I want a smartphone with a data plan and I got a cheap Blu with free lifeline wireless service because of a program started far before obama became president. I want one but I have no use for one even if it has a better camera than my kodak on a motorola one. I only barely need a phone at all and without my lifeline phone t-mobile offers a $3/30 minute deal with extra minutes at $.10/minute.

 

[MoeJoe]

Obama is a complete Tool and needs a brain update.

 

[LiveResistance]

Obama is a complete Tool and needs a brain update.

LOL

 

[MilwaukeeMike]

In a 2013 speech to a youth audience, Obama claimed: "I'm not allowed for security reasons to have an iPhone," though the Wall Street Journal reported in 2014 that the White House was testing smartphones from Samsung and LG for internal use.

I'd be surprised if any government official ever had an iPhone. Now that we know that iPhones can't be hacked and Apple won't help the govt hack them, the last thing we want is our govt using something that will help them hide their actions after the fact.

Think of all the trouble Hillary could have saved on her private email server if she just would have been able to have her communications all stuffed in her iPhone.

 

[SultanGris]

In a 2013 speech to a youth audience, Obama claimed: "I'm not allowed for security reasons to have an iPhone," though the Wall Street Journal reported in 2014 that the White House was testing smartphones from Samsung and LG for internal use.

I'd be surprised if any government official ever had an iPhone. Now that we know that iPhones can't be hacked and Apple won't help the govt hack them, the last thing we want is our govt using something that will help them hide their actions after the fact.

Think of all the trouble Hillary could have saved on her private email server if she just would have been able to have her communications all stuffed in her iPhone.

IPhones are easy to hack, the fbi just isn't smart enough to do it, someone else had to do it for them, haha!

 

[SultanGris]

Pretty sure that BlackBerry was the first smartphone with all those capabilities around 10 years ago. Sounds like he downgraded to me. Why da fuq would you want a phone that can't make phone calls? If I was the president I'd have the best phone available. Security shemerity, what's he gonna do, send classified info to our enemies? He probably did anyway, worst president in history. A Muslim born in Africa who has done nothing but destroy our country for the last 7 years. Can't wait till Trump reverses all the damage obama has caused!

 

[Evernessince]

In a 2013 speech to a youth audience, Obama claimed: "I'm not allowed for security reasons to have an iPhone," though the Wall Street Journal reported in 2014 that the White House was testing smartphones from Samsung and LG for internal use.

I'd be surprised if any government official ever had an iPhone. Now that we know that iPhones can't be hacked and Apple won't help the govt hack them, the last thing we want is our govt using something that will help them hide their actions after the fact.

Think of all the trouble Hillary could have saved on her private email server if she just would have been able to have her communications all stuffed in her iPhone.

Wireless communications are far less secure than wired. It would be incredibly dumb to do anything of any level of sensitivity over wireless.

 

[bexwhitt]

Pretty sure that BlackBerry was the first smartphone with all those capabilities around 10 years ago. Sounds like he downgraded to me. Why da fuq would you want a phone that can't make phone calls? If I was the president I'd have the best phone available. Security shemerity, what's he gonna do, send classified info to our enemies? He probably did anyway, worst president in history. A Muslim born in Africa who has done nothing but destroy our country for the last 7 years. Can't wait till Trump reverses all the damage obama has caused!

It's nice they let the retarded play with tech like real people.

 

[SultanGris]

It's nice they let the retarded play with tech like real people.

Apparently they don't if he's got a phone that can't make phone calls, haha

 

[IAMTHESTIG]

Pretty sure that BlackBerry was the first smartphone with all those capabilities around 10 years ago. Sounds like he downgraded to me. Why da fuq would you want a phone that can't make phone calls? If I was the president I'd have the best phone available. Security shemerity, what's he gonna do, send classified info to our enemies? He probably did anyway, worst president in history. A Muslim born in Africa who has done nothing but destroy our country for the last 7 years. Can't wait till Trump reverses all the damage obama has caused!

Now now, didn't you see his fake Hawaii "birth certificate".

Him and Hillary have helped the terrorists. Although I think they want to...

 

[mbrowne5061]

"it can’t take photos, play music, send texts, or even make calls"

So, what CAN it do? play flappy bird?

It can probably receive calls from a limited number of phone numbers - and honestly, it can probably call those same numbers. I think what they meant is that you can't dial any number that you want to with it, only 'pre-approved' numbers.
It also can probably still read and reply to emails - and I'm betting its a similar deal as the 'phone' part. Limited contacts, and there are probably some keyword filters and routing protocols that block wireless transmission in certain cases.