Remember BlackBerry? The brand once ruled the US smartphone industry, and it wasn’t until the iPhone 4 came along that BlackBerry’s real demise began. Well, the brand had a really hard time around 2010 and nearly met its maker but the boxy, business phones were far from done.
Does blackberry still make phones?
In 2015, Research in Motion (RIM), the company behind the BlackBerry brand, made a significant change by releasing the BlackBerry Priv, which was the first BlackBerry phone to run on the Android operating system rather than an in-house system. Despite this shift, RIM's mobile business continued to struggle and the company had to find other ways to stay afloat and keep the BlackBerry brand alive.
Will there be a new blackberry phone in 2024
Things took a turn for the worst, OnwardMobility, the company currently responsible for the BlackBerry brand, announced that it will not be reviving BlackBerry phones in any form. Here's part of the official statement:
To all of our valued followers, supporters and partners:
We want to thank you all for the tremendous amount of support that you have given us since we first launched OnwardMobility. However, it is with great sadness that we announce that OnwardMobility will be shutting down, and we will no longer be proceeding with the development of an ultra-secure smartphone with a physical keyboard.
Sadly, the only new BlackBerry release is actually a movie about the rise and fall of the popular brand. The movie is based on the book "Losing the signal" and premiered in the US on May 11th. Bye bye, BlackBerry...
Will there ever be another BlackBerry phone?
Right now, there’s no sign that anyone is planning to bring back the iconic BlackBerry brand. Still, we’ve put together a shortlist of the best BlackBerry devices you can still get in 2024. It’s not a big list, and yep, you’ll have to buy them used, but for those who love a bit of nostalgia, there are some options out there. Think of this more as a tribute to the last BlackBerry phones than a serious shopping guide, because let’s be honest—those little devices with physical keyboards and a sleek business vibe are still fondly remembered by many.
So, what’s BlackBerry up to these days?
Well, the BlackBerry name is still alive! The company has completely shifted gears and is now all about cybersecurity, offering top-notch encryption services for fields like medicine and the automotive industry.
So, who knows—maybe there’s still hope. BlackBerry managed to survive and even thrive in its new role, so it’s not impossible to dream that one day we’ll see a reinvented BlackBerry phone, maybe as a foldable gadget, a privacy-focused device, or even an AI assistant. Fingers crossed! Until then, here’s a look back at some memorable BlackBerry models from the past few years.
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Best BlackBerry phones from the past
These days, you probably won’t find any recent BlackBerry models outside of auctions or collector forums, but we thought it would be fun to spotlight a few of them to celebrate BlackBerry’s lasting legacy. Some of these devices can still work today, though using one in 2024 definitely comes with a few compromises. Even so, here are the last remaining BlackBerry models that made a lasting impression.
Sharp photos captured by the camera under ideal settings
Tactile keyboard
Really fast recharge time
The Bad
Choppy graphics processing performance
$650 cost makes it tough to compete as a mid-ranger
Muddy image/video capture under low light
The original KEY2 or the successor of the KEYone (however you want to look at it) is also an option for nostalgia-ridden smartphone enthusiasts. There's no denying that the KEY2 looks stylish and sleek, with the iconic BlackBerry keyboard below the square-ish screen. This one has even better specs than the LE version, on par with some low-mid range phones from 2021.
The BlackBerry KEY2 packs an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 SoC coupled with 6GB of RAM and the Adreno 512 GPU, which is almost good by 2021 standards. The Snapdragon 660 is a fairly capable SoC, and 6GB of RAM should be more than enough even by today's standards.
The KEY2 also comes with a dual-camera combo on the back, and a surprisingly good one, too! The dual 12MP cameras break down to the main sensor with f/1.8 aperture lens, 1.28 μm pixels, and a wider, 79.2-degree field of view, while the secondary camera features an f/2.6 aperture with 1.0 μm pixels and 2x optical zoom. You can record 4K videos with this phone, and also shoot panoramas, slow-motion videos, you know - modern stuff. The BlackBerry KEY2 is the best BlackBerry phone you can get at the moment.
BlackBerry KEY2 LE is the latest model from the company but these words bear a slightly different meaning. The KEY2 LE was released back in late 2018, and this alone could be enough of a factor to keep even the most devoted BlackBerry fans at a safe distance. Nevertheless, the phone exists and can be bought if you fancy it all that much. Let's talk specs.
The BlackBerry KEY2 LE features the same 4.5-inch LCD display found on the KEY2, sporting a resolution of 1080 x 1620. Instead of the Snapdragon 660 Mobile Platform that powers the KEY2, the lower-priced model has the Snapdragon 636 chipset under the hood. The Lite version of the KEY2 carries 4GB of RAM and 32/64 gigs of internal storage.
Now, these specs are surely outdated by today's standards but they're not too bad. The Snapdragon 6xx series can produce enough power for a modern smartphone experience, and 4GB of RAM isn’t too bad either (the iPhone 12 mini sports the same amount). 64GB of internal storage also matches the base storage option of Apple phones in 2021, so you can (in theory) use the BlackBerry KEY2 LE in 2021. Is it the best BlackBerry phone you can buy? Not really...
The BlackBerry Evolve X is a strange device - it's almost like a KEY2 but without the hardware keyboard. You know, for people who like big screens - people of 2021. This phone mirrors the hardware specs of the KEY2 (to some extent). The same octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 SoC ticks inside the Evolve, and the same amount of RAM can be found inside - 6GB. The 64GB of storage also matches the base option of the KEY2.
What's different is the display. It's a 1080p LCD panel with a modern resolution and a modern pixel density of 403ppi. At 5.99-inches it's also pretty spacious. Not large by 2021 standards but bigger than most "compact" phones out there. There's a dual camera setup on the back, also very similar to the one found on the KEY2, with the exception of an extra megapixel on the ultra-wide snapper. No 4K recording here but the selfie camera is 16MP and the battery is also bigger at 4,000mAh.
The biggest drawback of this phone is that it's not quite made for the US. It will work in GSM mode with some carriers like AT&T but it's generally not advisable to try and get it if you live in the States.
BlackBerry Motion
8.0
BlackBerry Motion
The Good
Top-notch battery life
Waterproofing is a welcome addition
Reasonably attractive design
Powerful BB software suite
The Bad
Camera can be hit-and-miss
Cheap-feeling home button
Unsatisfying speaker
If you don't need a hardware keyboard but still want to flash the BlackBerry badge around, the BlackBerry Motion is your best bet. It's another phone from the past, though - so don't expect miracles. First, the model is out of production, so buying it would require dealing with scalpers and sky-high prices, and second - 3+ years phones could potentially have battery issues. Still with us? Let's soldier on then to some specs.
The BlackBerry Motion comes with a 5.5-inch Premium Anti-Scratch screen with a 1080 x 1920 resolution (FHD), which is perfectly fine even by today's standards. The Snapdragon 625 SoC is under the hood which means the Motion is equipped with an octa-core CPU and the Adreno 506 GPU. Not the fastest processor even back then, and quiet on the backfoot in 2021.
There's 4GB of RAM onboard, and guess what - Quick Charge 3.0 tech is present too. The battery will charge to 50% in just 40-minutes. You also get a fingerprint scanner embedded in the home button. Not to mention the overall classy carbon-fiber look of this handset.
It is difficult to determine the best BlackBerry phones of 2024, as the available models are already several years old. It is unlikely that many people will be interested in purchasing a BlackBerry phone, but there may still be a small group of loyal fans of the brand. Unfortunately, with OnwardMobility's announcement, it seems that BlackBerry phones will remain a part of the past and may only be obtained as a nostalgic or collector's item.
We can always hope that some consortium or business entity will eventually decide to bring the BlackBerry brand back to life (look what happened with Nokia), and try to return the ultimate business phone back to its glory. Fingers crossed but until then, BlackBerry phones belong mostly to museums, tech enthusiasts and articles like this one.
Mariyan, a tech enthusiast with a background in Nuclear Physics and Journalism, brings a unique perspective to PhoneArena. His childhood curiosity for gadgets evolved into a professional passion for technology, leading him to the role of Editor-in-Chief at PCWorld Bulgaria before joining PhoneArena. Mariyan's interests range from mainstream Android and iPhone debates to fringe technologies like graphene batteries and nanotechnology. Off-duty, he enjoys playing his electric guitar, practicing Japanese, and revisiting his love for video games and Haruki Murakami's works.
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