BlackBerry is stopping service for its business smartphones from today, bringing an end to the tale of the popular device of the 2000s.
The company, BlackBerry Ltd, said that handsets running its in-house software would no longer be expected to “reliably function”, a move that they announced in 2020.
BlackBerry will be shutting off all its key services—data, SMS and phone calls, meaning users cannot join any cellular or WiFi networks. This would essentially render the phone useless.
Once the go-to device for business executives and those working on-the-go, BlackBerry's hold on the market declined with the introduction of the iPhone and Android touch screens with better features.
The Canadian company stopped production of the phone in 2016, shifting its focus to software development. TCL Communication took over the licensing of BlackBerry products and continued to release devices until 2020, powered by Android OS.
It was the BlackBerry that pioneered push email and famously had a QWERTY keyboard that made it convenient to type.
In recent years, the company turned its attention to cybersecurity software and operating system for cars.
Despite losing relevance as the touchscreen era progressed, BlackBerry continued to have a loyal fanbase—to this day—and many of them took to social media to express their sadness on witnessing the death of the iconic gadget.
Some, though, are still hoping for a revival of physical keyboard devices.
