Remember those days when everybody used to ogle their trendy qwerty smartphones Blackberrys, for the chunky keyboard and solid build. Well, the days of those smartphones are now finally over as BlackBerry has confirmed that it is now ditching the ‘Classic’ series.
BlackBerry, the pioneer brand behind the physical qwerty keypad is now finally taking a break from manufacturing those clunky smartphones, to probably introduce a new series of phone models. The new series of smartphones — much alike the PRIV — will be based on Android or company’s custom BlackBerry 10 platform.
Ralph Pini, COO and GM for Devices at BlackBerry delivers the heart-breaking news in a blogpost and added that,
Sometimes it can be very tough to let go. For BlackBerry, and more importantly for our customers, the hardest part in letting go is accepting that change makes way for new and better experiences.
In the blogpost, Pini not once mentions that the company is completely changing its stance on qwerty keypads. It just mentions that the ‘Classic‘ series smartphones running on BlackBerry OS 10, including Q10, Z10, Z30, Passport, and Classic were being discontinued. Pini adds that BlackBerry had to take some unusual turns to re-enter the smartphone market, that was once dominated by them.
But, the company is now changing its stance for good and believes that,
The ‘Classic’ has long surpassed the average lifespan for a smartphone in today’s market. We are ready for this change so we can give our customers something better – entrenched in our legacy in security and pedigree in making the most productive smartphones.
The company will still continue to support the sale of BlackBerry OS 10 devices, including the Classic if it available for purchase at select carriers. You can also try and poach an unlocked ‘Classic’ smartphone online. It will also continue to provide software updates and security patches for these BlackBerry 10 devices. It is on track to deliver version 10.3.3 next month, with another patch to follow next month.
The ‘Classic’ launched in 2014, was the Canadian smartphone maker’s attempt at reviving the memories of old, glory days, specially for the keyboard loyalists. It promised a traditional BlackBerry experience, with a touch of new and advanced features. The device was fairly reminiscent to the company’s legendary Bold and Curve series.
But since the introduction of touch-screens and Android, the company has tumbled way down the smartphone ladder. It continues to face huge challenges at regaining its position as a mainstream contender in the smartphone industry. The company has even accepted the Android ecosystem, and plans to launch budget smartphones to attract consumers and wiggle out of the bottom(as it accounted for only 0.2% worldwide sales in Q1 2016).
So, if you still have one of those ‘classic’ qwerty smartphones lying around, you’d want to hold onto them(for memories sake!).
