BlackBerry announced brand deal with TCL ended.
We have not heard from BlackBerry since the brand launched the KEY2 in 2018. And now we understand why.
Through an official statement, the firm has announced that TCL will not manufacture new phones under the BlackBerry brand. Now the Canadian company is left without a strategic partner.
TCL was producing phones under BlackBerry brand name since 2016
BlackBerry and TCL had a partnership deal since 2016 including marketing and manufacturing terms.
It is not really something that should surprise anyone: the division focused on mobile devices of the Chinese giant has been generating losses for some time, and not renewing the agreement with BlackBerry was one an expected step.
An uncertain future for BlackBerry
The path of BlackBerry as a manufacturer of Android smartphones is far from successful. However, there were still some fans of the brand that revered the devices created by the company.
BlackBerry has fans that cherish the brand after all these years for preserving its stand by keeping the physical keyboard and focusing on security.
In the message, it is specified that as of August 31 2020, TCL will stop manufacturing and distributing devices under the BlackBerry brand.
However, TCL Communications will extend the support period in terms of updates and technical assistance for two more years, until August 2022 .
Nonetheless, BlackBerry specifies that “the future of BlackBerry Limited is bright,” although no further details have been offered regarding its future plans. The full statement is available in the tweet below.
— BlackBerry Mobile (@BBMobile) February 3, 2020
