A new BlackBerry phone is coming in 2021, it will be 5G capable, and yes – it will have a physical keyboard.
A new company has given the name BlackBerry license to TCL throws it up early 2020. This seemingly new player in the phone world, OnwardMobility, announced it was producing a new handset with the saved BlackBerry name.
OnwardMobility is working with subsidiary Foxconn FIH Mobile Limited to bring the phones to North American and European markets in the first half of 2021. Or the phone will reach consumer markets, however, are unclear, as are the press release announcing the BlackBerry 5G phone positions it as an enterprise solution for businesses that need a secure, feature-rich 5G-ready phone that enhances productivity. ‘
“BlackBerry smartphones are known for protecting communications, privacy and data,” OnwardMobility CEO Peter Franklin said in the press release. “This is an incredible opportunity for OnwardMobility to launch next-generation 5G devices with the support of BlackBerry and FIH Mobile.”
OnwardMobility does not list any other products on them website, referring only to ‘future BlackBerry 5G smartphones.’ Its about page claims that the company was created to provide secure mobile device solutions to enterprise, government and business – so we are not sure if fans of the brand will be able to pick up one of the following BlackBerry phones at their local retailer, although the announcement video (embedded above) suggests it is available to consumers.
It is also unclear if, as when, will come to other regions.
Update: OnwardMobility responded to TechRadar’s questions and confirmed that the device will be marketed to consumers:
“More than half of the world’s population today have smartphones, so the market is enormous,” said OnwardMobility CEO Peter Franklin. “What is missing, however, is the ultra-secure and productivity-centric smartphone that can adapt to the needs of business users, government users and security-conscious consumers – and that is the gap we expect to fill.”
BlackBerry: Once a secure business phone, always a secure business phone?
Research In Motion’s BlackBerry phones were some of the first real smartphones that became popular among consumers, but they first gained popularity among business customers who shop for devices that would store data and send it through employees protect.
While BlackBerry flourished market share to compatible smartphones following the iPhone and Android platforms, it remained a trusted business device for years. OnwardMobility is clearly tapping into that legacy of business confidence – and productivity, as they are already committed to incorporating a physical keyboard on the 2021 device.
TCL’s BlackBerry phones also had physical keyboards, but were not successful enough for the phone industry underdog to retain the license. In short: people may be nostalgic for the days of physical keyboards, but not enough to go out of their way to buy them in large numbers.
Phones have changed since BlackBerry devices ruled, and the current high, narrow format has meant that keyboards have been shaken down, like TCLs BlackBerry Key2, are not very comfortable to type on. We’ll see if the OnwardMobility phone ends up with a different design, as it gets closer to its release window in the first half of 2021.
Via SlashGear
