Late last year, BlackBerry announced that older services for BlackBerry 7.1 OS and earlier, BlackBerry 10 software, BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.1 and earlier, will no longer be available after January 4, 2022, and that legacy services and software connected via carriers or Wi-Fi will no longer operate reliably, including data internet access, phone calls, text messaging, and 911 emergency calls.
Although the devices that have stopped service are basically no longer used, and The Android models launched by BlackBerry can still be used, many people believe that this reflects that BlackBerry has come to an end in the mobile phone business.
However, OnwardMobility, which makes phones for BlackBerry, issued an announcement later, saying that they are "not dead", saying that "although we have encountered obstacles and various delays, we will still bring BlackBerry 5G phones to the market".
And just earlier this month, BlackBerry announced that it had reached an agreement to pay $600 million to Catapult IP Innovations Inc. Sell legacy patents primarily related to mobile devices, messaging, and wireless networks.
The Waterloo, Ontario, Canada-based company said the deal does not include patents that are critical to its core business. BlackBerry will still be licensed for the patents sold, and customers' use of its products or services will not be affected in any way.
These patents primarily relate to mobile devices, messaging, and wireless networks, and the transaction does not affect the use of BlackBerry products, solutions, or services.
And in recent days, according to Android Police and CrackBerry, plans for 5G BlackBerrys equipped with physical keyboards have been shelved.
Android Police pointed out that OnwardMobility lost the BlackBerry brand license, and the supply chain has not been fully connected, leading TowardMobility to decide not to promote the BlackBerry 5G mobile phone project anymore.
Some people on the outside said that combined with the sale of patents and this news, BlackBerry may not really have a new mobile phone product launch in the future.