The BlackBerry smartphone could be making a comeback with a Texas startup set to revive the device next year. OnwardMobility has acquired a license to produce the handset from the original producer. The new device will be slightly modified to make it compatible with 5G network.
The new device will come with a new keyboard design meant to reflect the brand value from input experience to a keyboard typing experience. The startup will use the device’s original name to make a dent in the competitive Android industry.
The startup is yet to release any additional details about the new phone, including internal specs and screen sizes. However, the company has hinted that the revived device will have a redesigned keyboard.
Targeting enterprise customers
The company is designing a new device to target enterprise customers by boosting the phones’ ability to deliver work anywhere and improving its security features. These are the main features that made a name for the device and the company in the past.
The new device won’t be entirely new but will be an improved version of the original phone. “Top of mind for us is not just making the most secure and productive device, but also being an everyday device. That means things like a top-notch camera, and the other specs you’d expect from your day-to-day phone,’ said OnwardMobility CEO Peter Franklin. He also noted that the new phone pricing will take into consideration the competitive nature of the market.
BlackBerry’s turbulent journey
BlackBerry has had a very turbulent journey that even saw it fail to compete in the market. Although BlackBerry dominated the early smartphone industry, the company soon submitted to pressure from Android and iOS, whose sales took a nosedive. In a2013, BlackBerry made a comeback again and reported an increase in the number of devices operating BlackBerry 10.
In 2015, the company moved to Android with the launch of BlackBerry Priv made with a slide-out keyboard. Come 2016, BlackBerry ceased producing its phones and gave the license to Chinese manufacturer TCL. TCL will lose the rights to OnwardMobility as of August 31, 2020.