TCL Communications plans to stop selling BlackBerry phones later this year. In a tweet this morning, TCL announced that it “will no longer be selling” BlackBerry-branded phones as of August 31st, 2020, because it will no longer have the rights to design and manufacture them. Existing devices will continue to be supported.
BlackBerry decided in 2016 to stop making its own phones, after years of failures, and to license its brand out instead. The biggest licensing deal was with TCL, which since December 2016 has had the near-global rights to design and sell BlackBerry-branded phones. It’s done a decent job of it, pairing classically BlackBerry-style designs with the functions of modern Android phones. None of the devices have been blockbuster hits, though, and recent devices have received poor reviews.
TCL’s BlackBerry-branded phones feature physical QWERTY keyboards a big part of what made BlackBerry so popular among business users back in the day. Combined with the modern features of Android, the handsets were worth considering. But with the partnership ending, it may be better to look elsewhere, even considering the extended support offered by TCL.
It seems that BlackBerry, the former smartphone leader, will focus exclusively on software and security from now on. With that, the company may completely fade from the minds of consumers. It had a good run, but simply couldn’t compete in the era of full touchscreen smartphones.
Leaving BlackBerry behind may just give the company more time to focus on devices of its own.
— BlackBerry Mobile (@BBMobile) February 3, 2020
