One of the frontrunners in smartphone technology is finally about to come to an end. BlackBerry phones will no longer function. Here’s why…

Depending on your age, you may remember seeing kids in your school begin pulling QWERTY keyboard adorned phones from their pocket. The early noughties were the days of flip phones, and saw sliding mobile phones as innovative. But, BlackBerry quickly rose to the top of the smartphone game.

Equipped with BBM instant messenger, BlackBerry phones became a staple of mobile technology and the business world. However, after the first iPhone was released in 2007, touchscreens steadily became the fashion. This saw Apple gradually overtake the likes of BlackBerry and Nokia.

More up to date, in fashion phones were released, such as the Z10 and Q10 in 2013, but they weren’t popular enough to save the company. Not just used for communication, phones had begun needing to work for photographers and videographers too. Even being able to edit video on phones became crucial, and Apple took the lead. The once wildly popular BBM messaging service was shut down in 2019 due to a lack of users. Just 3 years before this, the server was moved to Indonesia, after partnering with Emtek.

But, in 2020, the tech company announced the end for its phones. Their statement was updated on the 22nd December, explaining that “legacy services for BlackBerry 7.1 OS and earlier, BlackBerry 10 software, BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.1 and earlier versions, will no longer be available after January 4, 2022.” Any devices running these services and software will no longer reliably function. This includes mobile data, phone calls, SMS, and emergency numbers.

The company has stated that these phones no longer represent its business as a software and tech company. BlackBerry now provides cybersecurity services and guidance to governments and companies around the globe.