BlackBerry phones have been pronounced dead several times since their peak of popularity more than a decade ago, but the firm will officially terminate support for its legacy handsets on the 4th of this month.
Phones running BlackBerry 10 and BlackBerry 7.1 software or before will "no longer reliably function" on carrier networks or via Wi-Fi beginning January 4, according to a support FAQ. This implies that the phones will no longer be able to access data, make phone calls, send text messages, or dial 911 in an emergency.
To be certain, the BlackBerry phones that have been impacted are ancient. BlackBerry 10, RIM's most recent smartphone OS update, was launched in 2013. In 2016, RIM terminated the BlackBerry line and turned its attention to security software under the name BlackBerry Limited.
TCL, a Chinese manufacturer, acquired the BlackBerry Mobile trademark license in 2016 and introduced the BlackBerry KeyOne and BlackBerry Key2.
These Android-powered phones are unaffected by the loss of support for legacy BlackBerry software and services. TCL, on the other hand, discontinued manufacturing BlackBerry phones in 2020 and stated that it will service devices until August 2022. OnwardMobility, a security company, then acquired the BlackBerry Mobile brand, announcing plans to launch a new 5G BlackBerry Android phone in the first half of 2021. That phone has yet to arrive.
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