End Of An Era For Blackberry Mobile Phones

TCL will no longer be producing new Blackberry mobile devices, officially bringing to an end the era of a brand that has always been associated with quality and class.

The sell of new Blackberry Mobile Phones will come to an end on August 31, 2020 with support for the current Blackberry phones running up to August 31, 2022.

“We regret to share, however, that as of August 31, 2020, TCL Communication will no longer be selling Blackberry-branded mobile devices. TCL Communication has no further rights to design, manufacture, or sell any new Blackberry mobile phones,” said the company in a statement.

As if to calm the nerves of those who were worried of what will become of the existing Blackberry mobile phones, the company said:

“TCL Communication will continue to provide support for the existing portfolio of mobile devices including customer service and warranty service until August 31, 2022 – or as long as required by local laws where the mobile device was purchased,” said TCL.

TCL has been distributing and selling Blackberry-branded mobile devices after acquiring the rights to it in 2016. The company has not given specific reasons why it has decided to terminate further production of new Blackberry mobile phones apart from that it has no further rights for producing the model.

“It is a very sad day. I have used Blackberry almost all my life when I started owning a phone,” lamented Steve Biko, an economic analyst and the owner of three Blackberry mobile phones.

The statement from TCL also indicates that Blackberry owners will not be expecting any new updates soon, signifying the company is determined to let go of a brand that, upon being revived in 2016, had brought so much joy and hope for the lovers of the model.

“For those of us at TCL Communication who were blessed enough to work on Blackberry Mobile, we want to thank all our partners, customers and Blackberry fan community for their support in the past few years,” TCL concluded in its statement.

There has been a lot of competition in the manufacturing of new smartphones, something that has seen prices of android smartphones dropping around the world. Most phone makers have been coming up with new mobile phones on a regular basis, leading to some models deciding to shape out of business.

Currently, in Kenya, for instance, with 2,000 shillings, one is assured to have an android smartphone, fully equipped with features and apps. Analysts say Blackberry might have been unable to catch up with the ever changing competition.