It’s the end of an era, again.
BlackBerry announced today that it will no longer manufacture BlackBerry Classic. This BlackBerry 10-powered device was part of the company’s strategy to revitalize its smartphone offerings and bring back loyal BlackBerry users who pined for the physical QWERTY keyboard.
Ralph Pini, COO and general manager for devices at BlackBerry, stated, “To keep innovating and advancing our portfolio, we are updating our smartphone lineup with state of the art devices… For many years, Classic (and its BBOS predecessors) has been in our portfolio. It has been an incredible workhorse device for customers, exceeding all expectations. But, the Classic has long surpassed the average lifespan for a smartphone in today’s market.”
The Classic prided itself in being “crafted from premium materials and designed for reliability and durability.” Unfortunately, the 3.5-inch 720×720 pixel display, BB10 OS and physical QWERTY keyboard, were not enough to keep customers happy.
“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,” said Pini. “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.”
“For now, if the Classic is still your device of choice, please check with your carriers for device availability or purchase Classic unlocked online. We continue to actively support BlackBerry 10 with software updates and are on track to deliver version 10.3.3 next month with a second update to follow next year,” says BlackBerry.
BlackBerry is expected to unveil and add three new Android devices to its lineup in the coming months, currently known by the codename of Neon, Argon, and Mercury.
Related: BlackBerry Classic Review
[source] BlackBerry [/source]
MobileSyrup may earn a commission from purchases made via our links, which helps fund the journalism we provide free on our website. These links do not influence our editorial content. Support us here.
