WATERLOO — A tweet on the BlackBerry Mobile Twitter feed announced Monday that Chinese smartphone manufacturer TCL Communication will stop making and selling BlackBerry-branded mobile devices as of August 31, 2020.
BlackBerry’s brand licensing and technology support agreement with TCL Communication dates back to December 2016, which resulted in the launch of the Key series of smartphones (pictured is the Key2), manufactured by TCL and branded as BlackBerry Mobile devices.
According to the tweet, which includes a statement originating from TCL Communication, the Chinese company “has no further rights to design, manufacture or sell any new BlackBerry mobile devices, however, TCL Communication will continue to provide support for the existing portfolio of mobile devices including customer service and warranty service until August 31, 2022 — or for as long as required by local laws where the mobile device was purchased.”
When contacted via email by Cartt.ca to clarify whether this meant no future BlackBerry smartphones will be made at all by any manufacturer going forward, a BlackBerry spokesperson responded to say the company was not making any additional comments at this time.
