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Senate staffers will no longer be issued official Blackberry smartphones

Senate staffers will no longer be issued official Blackberry smartphones

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The end of an era

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The age of the Blackberry as the go-to mobile device in Congress is finally coming to an end. Senate staffers were informed this week that BlackBerry devices won't be issued after the already-limited supplies run out. Though BlackBerry plans on supporting the devices the remaining few hang onto, it won't be long before everyone on Capitol Hill has to finally upgrade to an iPhone or Android smartphone.

"BlackBerry informed Verizon and AT&T that production of all BlackBerry OS 10 devices (Q10, Z10, Z30, Passport, and Classic) has been discontinued," reads a memo from the Sergeant at Arms office received by reporter Jim Swift. "Future carrier order fulfillment will not be guaranteed due to limited remaining stock."

BlackBerries are still the standard in Washington

BlackBerries have long been the daily drivers for Washington officials thanks to their long battery life, exceptional keyboards, and robust privacy features. However, as the smartphone industry boomed, the public at large slowly but surely left the company and their once-dominant phones behind. Only those in government were mandated to keep the devices around. Even President Obama, a noted Apple fan, wasn't allowed to make the switch, though senior White House aides were finally permitted to use iPhones this past April. Hopefully, everyone can now get with the times.