If you remember the early days of texting on phones, you know the feeling of having a BlackBerry phone. The brand is known for its iconic QWERTY keyboard with tactile buttons that people used to connect with others on BBM.
Though BlackBerry phones are not quite popular these days, the brand holds a very special position in every individual’s heart who has used a BlackBerry phone in their life. The brand stopped making its own handsets in 2016 and transferred the production to TCL Communication.
Now the final nail may have been driven into its coffin as in a recent tweet, BlackBerry mentioned that TCL won’t sell its smartphones starting August 31st, 2020. However, those smartphones that are already out there will continue to get support.
— BlackBerry Mobile (@BBMobile) February 3, 2020
Some of the most popular smartphones that we saw under TCL’s timeline were the BlackBerry X, BlackBerry One, BlackBerry Evolve, BlackBerry X, BlackBerry Key 2 and BlackBerry Key 2LE.
After the news broke out, we saw some mixed reactions from people.
That’s it then.
— ☀Ange☀ (@Afl2277) February 3, 2020
Although many of us moved on when android came on the BB scene, we’ve still got the memories, still got the friends from back then.
It’s a shame it’s ending completely.
I have all but the first one shown here!
— Kristin Hansen (@KHansen1724) February 3, 2020
So can we hope for new BB devices from @BlackBerry later this year pleaseeee
— Adam Høpp (@adamhopp) February 3, 2020
This is sad news but @BlackBerry and @JohnChen must step forward and find the “right” partner for the best secured keyboard smartphone powered / secured by #blackberry
— Rico4you (@RicardoGonzalwz) February 3, 2020
Still using this for calls and texts! pic.twitter.com/Ku6rAvKnFO
— Will (@will7201) February 3, 2020
Please don’t tell me it’s the end. #Blackberry is my favorite brand. Me needs more 🙏🏻
— Luis Pedro (@luisp_alvarez) February 3, 2020
— 🇵🇱Kamil Nowaczyk (@nowaczyk_kamil) February 3, 2020
It’s a very sad day, i’m still not ready to give up a physical keyboard …
— Vincent (@Vince208gti) February 3, 2020
Very sad day 🙁 @BlackBerry loved your phones, your software, your hub, your keyboard, your design…everything was top-notch. Thanks for the journey so far 🙂 will hate switching to a phone with onscreen keyboard. Typing this on a #keyone 🙂
— यो (@Singh_Navi) February 3, 2020
Thanks for at least trying to keep blackberry devices alive. So i think this is the end for all blackberrys?
— Daniel Obieglo (@HelveteD) February 3, 2020
And the end of BlackBerry phones… very sad as I have had all the Key devices and wouldn’t use anything else!
— Latinlyrics (@latinlyrics) February 3, 2020
Such a pity for those of us who liked using keyboards on TCL’s BlackBerry branded devices. But it seems there just weren’t enough of us.
— Simon Brampton (@SimonBrampton) February 3, 2020
This is very sad news, i hoped that the deal between BlackBerry and TCL would be extended and new devices would be launched next month during the MWC, but unfortunately this is not going to happen. Let’s hope BlackBerry license goes to an other manufacturer.
— Chris Seriotis (@ChrisSeriotis) February 3, 2020
With TCL moving out of the picture, the future of BlackBerry smartphones is indeed in the dark and the brand will most likely disappear from the market once and for all.
