BlackBerry phones have been declared dead several times since they peaked in popularity more than a decade ago, but the firm is officially shutting down support for its legacy handsets this week.
BlackBerry phones running BlackBerry 10 and BlackBerry 7.1 software or older will “no longer reliably function” on carrier networks or via Wi-Fi starting Jan. 4, according to a support FAQ from the firm. This implies that the phones will no longer be able to access the internet, make phone calls, send text messages, or dial 911 in an emergency.
To be clear, the BlackBerry phones that have been compromised are older models. BlackBerry 10, RIM’s most recent smartphone operating system, was introduced in 2013. In 2016, RIM dropped the BlackBerry brand and turned its focus to security software, becoming BlackBerry Limited.
TCL, a Chinese company, acquired the BlackBerry Mobile trademark license in 2016 and produced the BlackBerry KeyOne and BlackBerry Key2. The discontinuation of support for legacy BlackBerry software and services has no effect on these Android phones. TCL, on the other hand, discontinued manufacturing BlackBerry phones in 2020 and indicated it will continue to service them until August 2022. The BlackBerry Mobile brand was later acquired by security company OnwardMobility, who said that a new 5G BlackBerry Android phone will be released in the first half of 2021. That phone hasn’t arrived yet.