BlackBerry reminds its users that devices running BlackBerry OS and BlackBerry 10, the last of which came out in 2015, will stop working on January 4. The devices will then ‘no longer be reliable in terms of calling, texting, data and emergency calls’.
So it concerns all BlackBerry devices that do not run on Android; they do not depend on the BlackBerry servers for their functionalities. Think of the BlackBerry 9000 series, the Passport, Classic and the Leap. BlackBerry devices that are not included are, for example, the Priv, Motion and Evolve; that run on Android.
The BlackBerrys communicate via the company’s servers for reasons of security, among other things. Another characteristic feature of BlackBerrys is the presence of their physical keyboard, which has been and is still the preferred choice for a select few users.
In addition to BlackBerry OS 7.1 and earlier and BlackBerry OS 10, this end date also applies to the desktop applications Blend and Link, but also to the consumer version of chat app BBM. The Tablet Playbook will also stop communicating with BlackBerry servers.
Security company OnwardMobility announced that it would release a BlackBerry with a physical keyboard and 5G support in 2021, but that has not happened.
