Tag: BlackBerry

Recent rumors on Reddit suggest that Blackberry may be making a comeback with a new phone through a startup. However, sources indicate a confidentiality agreement has been signed, preventing the disclosure of the startup's brand name or design details. Blackberry actually announced its withdrawal from the mobile phone market in 2016, subsequently licensing its brand to China's TCL for phone manufacturing. After terminating this partnership with TCL in February 2020, it announced a licensing agreement with Texas-based startup Onward Mobility. While Onward Mobility planned to launch a Blackberry-branded phone with 5G connectivity, it ultimately went bankrupt in 2022. Consequently, the planned Blackberry-branded phone, developed in collaboration with Foxconn's FIH Mobile, failed to reach the market. Furthermore, in 2022, Blackberry announced the sale of its mobile device-related patent assets to Catapult IP Innovations for $600 million, effectively withdrawing from the mobile phone market. The recent news circulating on Reddit suggests that a startup is preparing to release a phone designed based on classic Blackberry models. The phone is rumored to support 5G connectivity, an AMOLED display, 12GB of RAM, and 256GB or 512GB of storage. It will reportedly run Android 15, incorporate generative AI features, and feature a capacitive keyboard. The original post on the forum has since been deleted, possibly at the request of the authorities, but it could also simply be unfounded speculation. Even if a startup does acquire Blackberry design assets and plans to create a new phone, it may simply be a phone similar to previous Blackberry models, and might not even use the Blackberry brand name.

In May of this year, Morgan Stanley and Weinberg Partners, acting as strategic advisors, assessed that splitting BlackBerry into two companies—an Internet of Things (IoT) company and a cybersecurity company—would be more beneficial for its future development. Following this assessment, BlackBerry plans to spin off its IoT business and list it on the stock exchange in the first half of fiscal year 2024. BlackBerry believes that spinning off the IoT business will allow the company to focus more on its cybersecurity business and make it easier for investors to assess the performance and potential of its core business. The spun-off IoT business will become an independent company and is planned to be listed on the stock exchange in the first half of BlackBerry's fiscal year 2024. BlackBerry was previously known for its phones with full QWERTY physical buttons and its proprietary security technology, which initially attracted many business professionals and government officials. However, with the rapid development of the smartphone market, BlackBerry failed to adapt its business model in time and thus fell behind Apple and Google as they aggressively expanded their reach. Although BlackBerry later planned to reshape the smartphone market with a completely new approach, it ultimately had to split up its mobile phone business and focus on network and IoT security. At the same time, it partnered with automotive groups such as BMW, Bosch, Continental, Honda, Mercedes-Benz, Toyota, Volkswagen, Volvo, and Chinese companies Dongfeng and Zhejiang Geely in the automotive industry.

BlackBerry announced a letter of intent to collaborate with the MIH Open Electric Vehicle Alliance, under which the MIH Open Electric Vehicle Alliance will select BlackBerry software as the foundation for its next-generation electric vehicle platform, leveraging its open ecosystem to drive the transformation and accelerate innovation of the electric vehicle industry. ▲Left: MIH Open Electric Vehicle Alliance CEO Cheng Hsien-tsung; Right: BlackBerry IoT President Mattias Eriksson. The MIH Open Electric Vehicle Alliance will adopt BlackBerry's secure and reliable software and services, utilizing its unique modular design as the software foundation for its open and cross-platform electric vehicle platform. This letter of intent between the MIH Open Electric Vehicle Alliance and BlackBerry will authorize BlackBerry to use its BlackBerry QNX series products and the BlackBerry IVY cloud-based artificial intelligence platform. This also includes the QNX software development platform, QNX middleware technology, and professional engineering services for system-level integration, performance optimization, and solution verification. Through BlackBerry's rich software solutions, the MIH Open Electric Vehicle Alliance's vehicle manufacturing software platform will become more diverse and support more innovative application services. Zheng Xiancong, CEO of the MIH Open Electric Vehicle Alliance, stated, "The MIH Alliance plans to launch three-, six-, and nine-seater vehicles, as well as commercial vehicles, for both passenger and cargo transport. The ultimate goal is to provide solutions that address user pain points in various smart city scenarios. BlackBerry shares this vision with MIH, and we look forward to accelerating innovation in electric vehicle development, logistics, and ride-hailing services through in-depth cooperation." Mattias Eriksson, President of BlackBerry IoT, said, "The MIH Open Electric Vehicle Alliance demonstrates its vision and determination to accelerate innovation in the electric vehicle ecosystem. As a leader in edge intelligence infrastructure software, BlackBerry®..." QNX® is dedicated to helping our customers and partners accelerate their software development. Industry leaders around the world are enabling their internal resources to be allocated to higher-level tasks by deploying our high-performance, secure, and reliable foundational software. Enterprises can focus on building software applications that enhance their customer experience without worrying about maintenance and repair. This not only speeds up development and improves security but also reduces overall costs. We are excited to join the MIH Open Electric Vehicle Alliance and look forward to helping MIH achieve its vision of accelerating the transformation of the electric vehicle industry.” Project X, announced by the MIH Open Electric Vehicle Alliance at the end of last year, will be a single-row, three-seat electric vehicle designed for Asian consumers, and is expected to debut at the Japan Mobility Show in October this year. Furthermore, the MIH Open Electric Vehicle Alliance plans to launch six-seat and nine-seat vehicle platforms in the coming years, thereby providing more market choices and room for innovation.

At re:Invent 2022, BlackBerry announced a partnership with AWS to bring its BlackBerry QNX real-time operating system to the cloud, aiming to shorten time-to-market for products using this operating system. The announcement stated that BlackBerry will utilize Amazon EC2 Executors powered by Graviton 2 processors to run its BlackBerry QNX real-time operating system, integrating it with the BlackBerry IVY AI data platform to accelerate product development and time-to-market. This solution will expedite the development of more task-oriented embedded connected devices and connected smart vehicle platforms, while also helping BlackBerry build more application services in the cloud. This solution is already being offered to select OEMs and initial suppliers, such as Marelli, a Milan-based automotive technology supplier, which is currently piloting the solution for next-generation automotive technology development.

Following the release of its Jelly series smartphones with a mere 2.45-inch screen, the Chinese startup Unihertz recently revealed via its official Twitter account that it will be launching a new phone with physical buttons. Previously, Unihertz released phones like the TiTAN, which featured a QWERTY button design similar to Blackberry. Phone Arena reports that this new phone will draw inspiration from the Blackberry Key 2 and will support 5G connectivity. Based on currently released images, the new phone may feature PC connectivity, and Unihertz expects to launch it in the first half of this year. In addition to small-screen phones and Blackberry-like devices, Unihertz has also previously released rugged phones like the ATOM, catering to diverse user needs. Something is coming soon...Just stay tuned! 😜📺https://t.co/KalQX2pyDN #unihertz #smartphone #newphone #newarrivals pic.twitter.com/aghVgIdP3L — Unihertz (@Unihertz) April 7, 2022

Following its decision to cease manufacturing its own mobile phones and to no longer update its operating system and services, BlackBerry recently sold its mobile device-related technology patents to Catapult IP Innovations for $6 million. Catapult IP Innovations is a special purpose vehicle (SPV) specifically established to acquire BlackBerry's technology patent assets, and is itself funded by Third Eye Capital, a Toronto-based investment firm, and unnamed Canadian investors with $4.5 million in capital. The $6 million acquisition includes $4.5 million paid directly to BlackBerry and $1.5 million in bank drafts, with BlackBerry also allowing for the repurchase of the relevant patents. While for BlackBerry this transaction represents a transfer of non-core patent assets to other companies, potentially generating additional revenue, for many companies involved in mobile phone product development, BlackBerry's early acquisition of mobile device-related technology patents could be used to obtain settlements through infringement lawsuits or as a means of other market attacks. However, this transaction still needs regulatory approval, and must at least comply with U.S. antitrust laws and Canadian investment laws. Therefore, it will require at least a 210-day review period and will not have a significant impact in the short term.

BlackBerry, once a dominant force in the smartphone market, has announced that it will discontinue the availability of BlackBerry 7.1 OS and earlier versions, as well as BlackBerry 10 and BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.1 and earlier updates, after January 4, 2022. This means that data security will no longer be guaranteed for BlackBerry devices using these operating system versions when connected to regular wireless networks. While current BlackBerry devices can still be powered on and function, basic functions such as calls, messages, and emergency calls will no longer be available. Mobile internet access, Wi-Fi transfers, and other BlackBerry-related services and apps will also be unavailable due to the termination of security encryption services on the BlackBerry platform. This signifies the end of the glorious history of BlackBerry phones. In 2016, facing significant competitive pressure from the rise of numerous smartphone brands, BlackBerry ultimately decided to abandon its hardware business and focus entirely on software development. The original phone hardware design and manufacturing will continue through a brand licensing agreement with TCL. However, BlackBerry announced the termination of its partnership with TCL in February 2020. Subsequently, it announced a licensing agreement with Onward Mobility, a startup based in Texas, USA, allowing BlackBerry phones to continue production. However, without BlackBerry's software support, it's clear that only nostalgia remains. Therefore, for many loyal users who have long used BlackBerry phones, the history of BlackBerry phones has finally come to an end.

Last year, BlackBerry partnered with Texas-based startup Onward Mobility for a licensing agreement and planned to relaunch its mobile phone lineup this year. A recent Nikkei report indicates that the company will first return to the market with a flagship phone supporting 5G connectivity and featuring the classic QWERTY physical buttons, with Foxconn still handling assembly. BlackBerry phones have long been produced under a licensing agreement, previously held by China's TCL, which launched several models. However, in late February last year, TCL announced it would discontinue its partnership with BlackBerry, and Onward Mobility took over, continuing to produce BlackBerry-branded phones. The report suggests that the BlackBerry-branded phone expected to relaunch this year will support 5G connectivity, retain the classic QWERTY physical buttons, and be positioned as a flagship product. It is anticipated to launch in North America and Europe, with an expected release in Asia as well. Since the BlackBerry-branded phones previously manufactured by TCL used the Android operating system, it is expected that the phones from Onward Mobility will also adopt the same design. According to Peter Franklin, CEO of Onward Mobility, they have already begun discussions with numerous consumers and telecom operators to gather feedback on the development of flagship phone specifications. These specifications are expected to include top-of-the-line camera features and the QWERTY physical button, a signature design element of BlackBerry phones.

Although TCL ceased its licensing agreement with BlackBerry for mobile phone production in late February, BlackBerry has apparently partnered with startup OnwardMobility to license its BlackBerry-branded phones, allowing them to continue selling in the market. OnwardMobility states that it has secured the design and sales rights for BlackBerry-branded phones and expects to launch a new model as early as the first half of 2021. This new phone will feature BlackBerry's classic QWERTY physical buttons and 5G connectivity. Furthermore, OnwardMobility CEO Peter Franklin emphasized the close collaboration with BlackBerry, anticipating the inclusion of BlackBerry's security encryption technology in the new phone and maintaining the brand's reputation for security. The new BlackBerry-branded phone will still be manufactured by Foxconn's subsidiary, FIH Mobile, but it is currently unclear whether it will still be based on the Android platform.