Technology

Not dead yet! BlackBerry confirms launch of 5G phone with keypad

OnwardMobility acquired the BlackBerry brand and has reiterated its commitment to delivering a 5G BlackBerry smartphone

January 7, 2022

OnwardMobility acquired the BlackBerry brand and has reiterated its commitment to delivering a 5G BlackBerry smartphone

BlackBerry to launch 5G phone with physical keypad

BlackBerry hasn’t given up on its smartphone ambitions yet. BlackBerry launched a few Android phones between 2016 and 2018 in partnership with TCL, but that contract ended in 2020. After the Blackberry-TCL manufacturing partnership ended it was speculated that there may be no more BlackBerry phones.

After Blackberry’s recent announcement on delivering a new 5G smartphone with physical keyboards, there’s new hope for BlackBerry fans.

OnwardMobility acquired the BlackBerry brand and has reiterated its commitment to delivering a 5G BlackBerry smartphone. “Contrary to popular belief, we are not dead,” said the US-based company and proclaimed that it has plans to release a 5G BlackBerry device this year. The company blames the lack of a 2021 launch on “various delays” it encountered but promises to provide more updates on the phone moving forward.

Since the BlackBerry OS is dead, the upcoming phone is likely to use Android 12 software. OnwardMobility CEO Peter Franklin had announced an agreement with BlackBerry and FIH Mobile Limited, a subsidiary of Foxconn Technology Group. The three companies will work together to make a new 5G BlackBerry Android smartphone with a physical keyboard. There’s no word as to whether the upcoming BlackBerry phone will come to India or not.

“Everyone has eagerly awaited additional information following our last announcement, but 2021 was truly a challenging year to launch a new phone, much less one with the high expectations we set and the fact that we want to get it right!” OnwardMobility, the company with the license to launch BlackBerry-branded phones, said in a statement.

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