BlackBerry to make a comeback with QWERTY keypad 5G smartphones

Forum 3 years ago

BlackBerry to make a comeback with QWERTY keypad 5G smartphones

Just when we thought BlackBerry was dead, the brand surprised us, especially its fans, on Wednesday. It's coming back.

Just when we thought BlackBerry was dead the brand surprised us, especially its fans, on Wednesday. It’s coming back.

After being ditched by TCL earlier this year, BlackBerry has announced a licensing partnership with OnwardMobility and FIH Mobile Limited, a subsidiary of Foxconn Technology Group, to bring new smartphones with the nostalgic QWERTY keypad.

It is confirmed that we will see new BlackBerry phones in the first half of next year, the exact date or the name of the devices have not been revealed by the company. OnwardMobility has confirmed that the upcoming BlackBerry smartphones will not only pack QWERTY keypad but also support 5G network. Similar to all the previous BlackBerry models the upcoming phones will also run on Android software.

The companies have confirmed that in the starting the new BlackBerry smartphones will be available in North America and Europe. market. No details on the India availability of the phones for now. Notably, all the previous models of BlackBerry made their way to the Indian market.

The upcoming BlackBerry smartphones are claimed to be secure and “enable productivity, without sacrificing the user experience”.

Commenting on the partnership John Chen, Executive Chairman and CEO, BlackBerry said, “BlackBerry is thrilled OnwardMobility will deliver a BlackBerry 5G smartphone device with physical keyboard, leveraging our high standards of trust and security synonymous with our brand. We are excited that customers will experience the enterprise and government level security and mobile productivity the new BlackBerry 5G smartphone will offer.”

The partnership means BlackBerry gives OnwardMobility the right to develop, engineer, and bring to market a BlackBerry 5G mobile device. The company will conduct product planning and market development for BlackBerry smartphones in North America, while FIH Mobile will design and manufacture the BlackBerry devices under strict guidelines to ensure component, device and supply chain integrity.

Peter Franklin, CEO of OnwardMobility said, “Enterprise professionals are eager for secure 5G devices that enable productivity, without sacrificing the user experience.” “BlackBerry smartphones are known for protecting communications, privacy, and data. This is an incredible opportunity for OnwardMobility to bring next-generation 5G devices to market with the backing of BlackBerry and FIH Mobile,” Franklin added.