TCL loses license to design, make and sell BlackBerry smartphones

If you are waiting for the successor of the BlackBerry KEY2, well your wait is over. TCL Communications, who were the licensed manufacturers of BlackBerry smartphones will no longer be designing, manufacturing or selling any BlackBerry smartphones come 31st August.

BlackBerry’s fate is remarkably similar to Nokia’s — betting heavily on their own proprietary OS only to finally adopt Android and license Chinese smartphone makers to make their phones — but unlike the Finnish giant which quickly transitioned away from their past, BlackBerry’s old formula for success which involved QWERTY keyboards and secure software just wasn’t enough to regain their fanbase in recent years.

Here’s the full announcement:

I think the main takeaway point from the announcement is that TCL will still be providing warranty and support for their existing lineup of BlackBerry devices for two more years until 31st August 2022.

TCL has recently started to sell phones under their own brand, and is also licensed to manufacture Alcatel smartphones. Meanwhile BlackBerry will probably focus on their secure enterprise solutions. TCL and BlackBerry entered the partnership in December 2016 with their first collaborations being the DTEK50, DTEK60 and KEYone.

Pokdepinion: The last BlackBerry device I found cool was the PRIV, and that was an entirely BlackBerry design… So… Good riddance?