Kim Kardashian poses at the Us Weekly Hot Hollywood Style issue event in 2012, in West Hollywood, Calif.Chris Pizzello/The Associated Press
Kim Kardashian says she's hoping BlackBerry Ltd.'s smartphone making days aren't over.
The 34-year-old reality television star shared her love for the Canadian gadget at a conference Monday night hosted by technology website Re/code.
"A BlackBerry, it's my heart and soul. I love it. I'll never get rid of it," Kardashian said. "I do have an iPhone – I use that for photos – but if you have to handle an e-mail and you have to type fast I need to feel that board," she said, referring to BlackBerry's trademark keyboard.
The backing of one of Hollywood's most recognizable names could help BlackBerry win back some buzz. The company's share of the global smartphone market has dwindled to less than 1 per cent, according to research firm IDC, and BlackBerry has shifted its focus to selling software-based services that also work with Apple Inc.'s iPhone or phones that use Google Inc.'s Android.
Still, the company hasn't left the smartphone business behind. BlackBerry recently debuted the square-screened Passport, and chief executive officer John Chen has said he plans to unveil new devices over the next year.
"There are many people like Ms. Kardashian who just can't live without our older devices," Lisette Kwong, a spokeswoman for BlackBerry, said in an e-mail. That's why the company will soon debut a new keyboard-equipped phone, the Classic, Kwong said.
Kardashian said she stocks three BlackBerry Bolds at all times, just in case one breaks. "I have anxiety that I will run out and I won't have a BlackBerry.
"I'm afraid it'll go extinct," she said. "I'm on a mission to make that not happen."