The Big Announcement:
BlackBerry announced that as of January 4th 2022, any phones or tablets running BlackBerry’s own software (BlackBerry 7.1 or earlier, BlackBerry 10, or its tablet operating system BlackBerry PlayBook) will “no longer reliably function”. There will be no guarantee to make phone calls, send text messages, use data, establish an SMS connection, or even call 9-1-1 via Wi-Fi or cellular, which makes the classics pretty dead to the public.
The BlackBerry Era:
We all, at least the cellphone freaks have witnessed the great monarchy of the BlackBerry in the in late 2000s. The company’s first attraction was to come-up with a physical qwerty style cellphone which changed the dynamics of the cell phone industry. On top of that, the top notch security systems of the BlackBerry phones which provided end-to-end encryptions at that time made it to be a target cellphone for top government officials, politicians, and the celebrities. The company was dominating the cellphone market and had captured 50% of cellphone market in the US.
The Fall of a Great Giant:
Moving couple of years into the future, the company started facing a sudden decline, because the concept of smartphones had been developed by Apple which later on replaced the concepts of the cellphones. When the world was shifting to smartphones in 2013, BlackBerry tried reviving the classic cellphones launch of a new OS with BlackBerry 10, but failed to do so. In 2015, the company finally took the initiative of shifting to Android but it was too late and the competitors were far ahead, so this attempt failed as well. Ultimately in 2016, the company went to licensing its brand to third-party manufacturers like TCL. The company’s name is dragging in the market, no matter how little, thanks to these third-party manufacturers.
What it means for the users?
Well the users of BlackBerry classics need to be swift in their actions. In more or less 48 hours, these devices will be technically dead. The company will no longer be providing any services in regard to the functionality of the devices. Meaning that you can call, text, SMS, use internet, or even call 9-1-1 in emergency. Carrying a BlackBerry after 4th January 2022 will probably be same as carrying a brick in your pocket and going by your daily life. You can really do anything with it, so might as well drop the dead wood.
I can definitely understand the attachment the users still have with BlackBerry to this date. Several people in my own social circle carry a smartphone to go about their daily lives and a BlackBerry to show loyalty to the once-beloved monarch. It is going to be really hard for those true loyal customers to absorb this and take it in. So my kind words are to take this news with a pinch of salt. This New Year’s Resolutions is to firmly, but gently retire the classic legends for good.
What’s next for BlackBerry?
With the help of third-party manufacturers, the name BlackBerry still lingers on in the market. In 2020, a Texas based firm, OnwardMobility claimed that it will be making a 5G Android-powered BlackBerry device with a full physical QWERTY keyboard in 2021. This was another initiative to revive the long dead monarch by providing the latest 5G driven Android powered system in a Blackberry device as well as keeping the classical look of a physical qwerty keyboard in. If nobody else, at least the loyal fans would have loved to get their hands on that device. However, all throughout 2021, and finally heading into 2022 there has been no further news or update on the OnwardMobility website about it, which makes it a case of curiously missing BlackBerry 5G Phone.
Whether that device is launched or not, we will see in the near future. What we are sure about is that it is the final nail in the coffin for BlackBerry classics and that too for good now.
(Source: www.theverge.com)
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