BlackBerry to Bid Adieu on January 4, 2022

Today we are here to grieve the death of the ruler of the mobile world - BlackBerry. And, this is not the first time that we have announced the end of the company or its devices (and, for the reasons we will explain below, it will probably not be the final) but this is a very definite ending to legacy BlackBerry hardware.

As of January 4, any phone or tablet that runs BlackBerry's own software, namely BlackBerry 7.1 or earlier, BlackBerry 10, or its tablet operating system, BlackBerry PlayBook, — will "no longer reliably function," says the company. Whether over Wi-Fi or cellular, there will be no guarantee that you will be able to make phone calls, send text messages, use data, establish an SMS connection. That sounds pretty deadly to us.

If for some inexplicable reason, you or someone you love is still using an original BlackBerry, we recommend that you adopt a New Years resolution to gently but firmly remove it from their hands. Starting January 4, it will be little more than a paperweight. (Although Android BlackBerry devices will continue to function normally.)

However, as mentioned above, this might not be the latest BlackBerry death we announced. The company has seen a slow and tortuous decline since its dominant era in the late 2000s when its QWERTY keyboards and reputation for security earned it a 50 percent market share in the US, but one brand with so much history it has to be squeezed to the last drop. of value. (Its parent company, BlackBerry Limited, has moved on to selling cybersecurity software.)

BlackBerry tried to reboot in 2013 with a new operating system, BlackBerry 10 (which failed), and in 2015 switched to manufacturing Android devices (which also failed). Then, in 2016, it began licensing its brand to third-party manufacturers like TCL. That's what the BlackBerry name remains, and in 2020, a Texas company called OnwardMobility said it would make a 5G BlackBerry device with Android and a full QWERTY keyboard that will launch in 2021.

Well, time is running out on that (OnwardMobility hasn't shared any news or updates on their website since January 2021), but whether that particular endeavour lives or dies, it will at least give us a chance to meet again for another. . funeral. We really must meet sometime in kinder circumstances. How are your aunt and uncle doing anyway?