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BlackBerry Porsche Design P’9981

What makes it special

  • The P’9981 is a luxury-edition smartphone from BlackBerry in collaboration with Porsche Design. It’s based on the BlackBerry Bold 9900 hardware but dressed up in premium materials (stainless steel frame, leather back cover) and a bespoke Porsche Design interface.

  • It was announced in October 2011 and released around December 2011.

  • Design highlights include a custom metal QWERTY keyboard, straight-rows layout, and luxury finish materials.

  • The luxury angle was strong: for instance, there was a very limited 24-carat gold version (only 25 units) offering ultra premium appeal.

Key specifications

  • Display: 2.8″ TFT, resolution 640 × 480 (286 ppi)

  • Processor: 1.2 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM8655

  • Memory/Storage: 768 MB RAM, 8 GB internal storage, microSD slot up to ~32 GB

  • Camera: Rear 5 MP with LED flash, video recording up to 720p

  • Connectivity: GSM/EDGE quad-band, UMTS/HSPA (850/1900/2100)

  • Build & design: 115.0 × 67.0 × 11.3 mm, weight 155 g; stainless steel frame, leather back cover. 

  • Operating System: BlackBerry OS 7.x Wikipedia

Pros & things to keep in mind

Pros:

  • Strong premium design and build quality — this is a luxury device, not just a run-of-the-mill smartphone.

  • Physical QWERTY keyboard + touchscreen + trackpad: good for fans of BlackBerry’s signature input style.

  • Collectible appeal due to Porsche Design branding and limited editions.

Considerations:

  • From a performance and feature perspective, especially by today’s standards, it’s dated. Smaller screen, modest specs.

  • Software ecosystem: being a BlackBerry OS device, app availability and updates are very limited compared to Android or iOS.

  • Because of the luxury nature and niche audience, availability might be limited and parts/support harder to find.

  • If you’re buying one now, you might be more investing in style/collectibility rather than cutting-edge smartphone tech.

Who is it for?

  • Someone who appreciates luxury hardware, design craftsmanship, premium materials and exclusivity in a smartphone.

  • A collector of high-end or niche tech devices, especially those with premium branding (Porsche Design).

  • A fan of physical keyboards and the BlackBerry ecosystem (or nostalgia for it).