Blackberries are the only phones that focus on productivity. So there's no more WhatsApp for users like me who need a phone to do work stuff instead of looking at pictures of cats.

Time to move to Facebook Messenger or Telegram.

If you want a phone for work stuff use a Windows phone; they really focus on productivity. The integration is seamless with your desktop.

Just because they have Office integration doesn't mean that they are productivity-orirnted.

The email and contact organization is just not as powerful as in my 2009 Blackberry (or any Windows Mobile before 7 for that matter), no shortcuts to call someone faster or launch an app, no physical keyboard, etc.

Most likely, Blackberry and Nokia don't share location information like an iPhone or Android App do. That means more money for the owners of WhatsApp, which doesn't really create any tangible products anyway.

Either way, this always happens with unregulated service. There's no one there to say "Hey, there are users that depend on our service for communicating". Instead, the actual messaging concept is always "I can't believe people haven't upgraded yet".

Its decisions like these why my grandparents hate technology.

So you think the solution is government regulations. Sorry, but no. I'm not one of those anti-regulation libertarian types either. The prescription drug industry needs regulation, as the price of prescription drugs has doubled in less than ten years, and generics no longer offer the same savings as they used to because the Martin Shkreli's of the world are perverting the market. I'm sure those prescription drug prices are far more important to your grandparents than WhatsApp. Instead of giving your grandparents your old hand me downs, buy them something new for Christmas so they won't be stuck in 2008. Some things deserve the attention of regulators, and others should be left for the market to decide. The market has decided your 7 year old device is obsolete. Quit whining about it and go buy a new one.