OnwardMobility is Dead, and So Are Its Plans To Release a 5G BlackBerry Phone

There's won't be a big revival for BlackBerry phones anytime soon. OnwardMobility, the Austin-based startup that announced its plans to release a 5G BlackBerry device with a physical keyboard back in 2020, is shutting down. From a report: The company posted a notice of its closure on its website, making it clear that it won't be proceeding with the development of the smartphone. This comes a month after it responded to people asking about the status of the project with a blog post entitled "contrary to popular belief, we are not dead." While OnwardMobility didn't expound on the reason behind its closure, Android Police reported a few days ago that its license to use the BlackBerry name had been canceled. Apparently, BlackBerry wants to distance itself from its past as a smartphone manufacturer after it sold off its remaining mobile patents for $600 million in the beginning of February. OnwardMobility reportedly decided not to push through with the development of a new smartphone without the BlackBerry name, especially since it won't be easy entering the market with an ongoing global component shortage.

Again?

[WoodstockJeff]

https://yro.slashdot.org/story... [slashdot.org]

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[Guyle]

I knew this sounded familiar.

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[Dragonslicer]

To give the editors credit, that was posted three days ago. Usually the dupes are only 12-24 hours later.

gone but not forgotten

[Reiyuki]

The good news is my existing blackberry's probably got another 6yrs left in it. God, I love durable technology.

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[narcc]

I wish. BB10 and my Classic die with the 3G network. It'll be a sad day. You won't find a more reliable and productive combination of hardware and software anywhere.

I think the KeyOne will still work, but that runs Android. The KeyTwo, oddly enough, won't survive.

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[Reiyuki]

Key1 and Key2 both run Android. Pretty sure they'll both be fine. Fingers crossed.

Planet computers

[ickleberry]

Luckily planet computers [planetcom.co.uk] are sitll making qwerty phones. They are quite good too, I had a Gemini for a while

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[narcc]

Talk about a hidden gem. They could use better marketing.

Stop tying with nostolgia.

[jellomizer]

Some brand names are just dead. We need to deal with that.

Ford if probably not going to bring back the Edsel brand for a new set of EV's
We probably won't be seeing an Osborn branded notebook computer

Some brands that were popular may not have been because people loved the brand, but didn't have much alternatives. Like with Blackberry. As soon as Apple iPhone supported Exchange server emails, people dumped blackberry like yesterdays news.
Being used for a business phone, while their may be a small set of fa

AFAIK

[IWantMoreSpamPlease]

There are no 5g QWERTY phones out there that are like those old wonderful Blackberries (Blackberrys? Dunno) which is a shame. I wanted the Unihertz Titan, but no 5g keeps it of my network (which is why my KeyOne had to be forcibly retired..cell provider wouldn't support it any more) so I"ve been forced to go back to a generic slab phone.

That's OK

[hawk]

We'll still have another round of Amiga.

Maybe they can slap *that* name soon a second-rate cellphone . . .

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[MightyMartian]

The RCA Victory Amiga Blackberry Spruce Goose Phone!