Back in the day, BlackBerry phones were on an entirely different class of its own. Unfortunately, BlackBerry is stepping down once more from its throne, and not for the first time.
What gave BlackBerry such high regard back then wasn’t just its design. It also provided simple QWERTY keyboards which made sending messages and emails easier. What led to its decline was the rise of touchscreen devices made by Apple and Android manufacturers.
From then on, the BlackBerry company (BlackBerry Limited) we know has not produced anymore phones since 2015. This led to the company passing on the reigns to Chinese company TLC, which later on ran a brand known as BlackBerry Mobile. It is an attempt to pass on the phone’s fire, keeping it alive.
— BlackBerry Mobile (@BBMobile) February 3, 2020
Now, TLC has announced on Twitter that it will halt its production of BlackBerry devices beginning August 31, following the conclusion of its license. According to their Twitter post, “TLC Communication has no further rights to design, manufacture or sell any new BlackBerry mobile devices.”
The company did promise to provide support for the existing family of mobile handsets—which includes customer service and warranty service—until the 31st of August in 2022. Who knows? BlackBerry had been in the same situation before, but they were able to make a comeback. Will we expect the once popular smartphone manufacturer to rise again?