Do you remember the satisfying click of a BlackBerry keyboard? Or the thrill of BBM notifications lighting up your day? Well, it’s summer 2025, and Gen Z is bringing back the iconic BlackBerry to embrace Y2K nostalgia in place of endless scrolling. At the center of that shift is eBay, transforming the refurbished tech landscape while actively reducing e-waste and supporting a circular economy.
New data from eBay reveals that:
- Global eBay users have searched for “Blackberry” nearly 5400 times a day, on average, in 2025 so far (January – May 2025).
- On eBay globally, searches for “Blackberry” increased by over 10% in the past three months (May 2025 vs. February 2025).
- On eBay globally, searches for “flip phone” increased 25% year-over-year (May 2025 vs. May 2024).
But we’ve got to ask why? I mean BBM used to be the huge draw of the Blackberry – kids could use BBM for free which meant that when they had burnt through the tenner a month that their parents funded, they could still message their friends.
Well, forget BBM which was killed off for consumers in 2019, the Blackberry is still a device you can make calls on and send SMSs, but without the constant ping of social media apps incessantly interrupting you. Why not have a device, even if just for the weekends, where you can still phone the friends you’re about to meet up with but with escape from the rest of your digital world?
Top reasons for buying a Blackberry
- Affordable Escape: Compared to $1,000+ iPhones and $70/month data plans, refurbished BlackBerrys offer a cost-effective alternative.
- Digital Mindfulness: Many Gen Zers are ditching smartphones to reclaim their focus from social media and reconnect with the physical world. BlackBerry’s minimalist features make it the perfect companion for intentional living.
- Retro Aesthetic: From rhinestone-studded cases to ASMR-worthy keyboards, BlackBerrys have become a style statement for the Y2K-obsessed generation.
40%+ of eBay sales come from pre-owned and refurbished items. eBay’s Refurbished Program lets customers buy certified second-hand tech directly from trusted sellers and 400+ brands, helping products last longer.
