BlackBerry finally cracks, and will cease being made this year
Former US president Barack Obama was a big fan of the BlackBerry. Photo: Getty
The phone that was once so popular it was bestowed the nickname ‘CrackBerry’ will say its final farewell this year.
BlackBerry has come a long way since it released its phone in 2002; it laid the foundations for the smartphones we now and appreciate today.
Unfortunately for the innovators at BlackBerry HQ, other smartphone manufacturers had just as many ideas, and as the industry boomed, the humble ‘Berry was left behind.
In 2016, it announced it would no longer be making its own handsets, instead handing the legacy to a partnership with TCL Communication.
This week, TCL broke the news it would stop making and selling BlackBerry mobiles altogether in August.
BlackBerry Mobile used Twitter to thank its workers across both companies for their years of work, and said customer service and warranty support would continue for devices until August 31, 2022.
— BlackBerry Mobile (@BBMobile) February 3, 2020
BlackBerry has stayed silent on if it will be teaming up with another company or trying its hand again at producing its mobiles.
The manufacturer changed the way people did business – meaning, they’re kind of to blame for workers never being able to fully switch off. (Although it’s inevitable it would have happened anyway.)
They brought qwerty keyboards into our pockets (and kept them there in physical form), meaning we were free to check and reply to emails, book meetings and manage spreadsheets wherever we were.
They had legions of fans, from former US president Barack Obama to Kim Kardashian.
The latter was such a big fan that, in 2016, when it was announced BlackBerry Bold would be phased out and she couldn’t find another for sale anywhere, she had a Twitter meltdown.
Sooo my blackberry bold died. I can't find anymore on ebay. I knew this day would come & to be honest I'm prepared. But the question is….
— Kim Kardashian (@KimKardashian) August 3, 2016
— Kim Kardashian (@KimKardashian) August 3, 2016
Apparently, the company’s then-chief sent the distressed star one of the most secure Android phones on the market, in order to plug the hole left by the departure of her beloved Bold.
