Is the popular BlackBerry really going to disappear? TCL announced that it will stop selling the phones at the end of August this year

BlackBerry Mobile announced on Twitter today that TCL will stop selling BlackBerry phones on August 31, 2020. This means the end of an era. BlackBerry Mobile said that we are sorry to tell you that from August 31, 2020, TCL Communication will no longer sell BlackBerry-branded mobile devices. At that time, TCL Communication will not have the right to design, manufacture or sell any new BlackBerry mobile devices.

Back in December 2016, TCL announced that it had acquired the rights to develop and sell BlackBerry-branded smartphones. At the time, this was seen as an exciting revival of a long-loved brand (i.e. BlackBerry phones). Later, TCL launched BlackBerry-branded phones such as the BlackBerry Keyone, Motion, KEY2, and KEY2 LE. Among them, the KEY series of phones attracted much attention because they brought BlackBerry's iconic design (physical keyboard) to this world full of flat glass (touch screen).

But unfortunately, these nostalgic designs do not seem to be enough to revive BlackBerry phones. For BlackBerry devices that are already on the market, TCL Communication said it will continue to provide support for existing mobile devices, including customer service and warranty services, until August 31, 2022, or the period required by local law.

In the statement, BlackBerry Mobile did not mention the issue of upgrading the phone system. But industry insiders said that at least in the short term, don't hold too much hope. Currently, the BlackBerry KEY2 is still running Android 8.1 Oreo. Before the announcement, it was impossible to upgrade to Android 10.

BlackBerry Mobile concluded by saying, "We would like to thank all of our partners, customers and the BlackBerry fan community for their support over the past few years, and we are grateful for the opportunity to meet so many fans from around the world during the tour. The future of both TCL Communication and BlackBerry Limited is bright, and we hope that everyone will continue to support both companies as we move forward."