They were once must-have devices for Wall Street executives and Kim Kardashian West. Now the future of BlackBerry phones is in doubt after Chinese manufacturer TCL announced it will no longer design, build or sell new BlackBerry mobile devices after this coming August.
BlackBerry stopped designing and selling its own phones in 2016 after seeing its popularity plunge once Apple’s iPhone changed smartphones forever. It licensed the brand to Huizhou-based TCL, the electronics giant that also makes Alcatel handsets. TCL says the licensing deal with BlackBerry is coming to an end this year, but it will continue to provide customer support and warranty services for device owners until August 2022.
TCL appears to have an interest in setting up its own phone brand. During the CES gadget show in Las Vegas this year, it debuted its own branded phone line, including a foldable smartphone prototype.