Blackberry is getting back in the smartphone division after it dropped its partnership with HCL and US-based Onward Mobility got the license of selling phones under Blackberry’s name.
OnwardMobility, a Texas-based startup and the new BlackBerry licensee, will be launching the 5G-enabled Blackberry smartphones this year, 2021.
Blackberry’s CEO, Peter Franklin, while presenting an interview, stated that the upcoming Blackberry smartphones would be available in preferred regions including North America, Europe, and Asia; these new phones Blackberry will also feature a QWERTY keyboard.
As per some reports, OnwardMobility has collaborated with Foxconn for 5G support for the phones.
While the company hasn’t provided many details about the device’s specifications, Franklin has confirmed that OnwardMobility will incorporate strong security features on the latest Blackberry devices.
Blackberry was once at the peak of the top smartphones in the business smartphone market.
The brand led with its robust emphasis on typing experience, connectivity, and security features.
However, the comfort and ease of use caused to the table with the introduction of touchscreen-based smartphones soon drove the brand to near-extinction.
Blackberry attempted to follow up with the Z series smartphones’ launch, including the Z10 that launched in 2013.
However, the Z series remained very sought after when it happened to usability compared to the iOS and Android operating systems, which by then had already become pretty popular.
Blackberry OS 10, on the other hand, too had several apps than its two biggest competitors.
Hence, the Z series and the latest Q series started alongside it, determined to be a dead-end brand.
An Android-based BlackBerry Priv that was begun in 2015 and finally the Blackberry Key series didn’t perform things more beneficial for the brand. This commenced TCL Communications to end its partnership with the company in 2020.
