BlackBerry rises from the grave: New 5G phone with a keyboard coming in 2021

By Andy Boxall August 19, 2020

BlackBerry is the smartphone brand that steadfastly refuses to die. The presumed-dead name has been resurrected once again, this time by a new company called OnwardMobility. It will work with manufacturer FIH Mobile to create and sell a 5G BlackBerry Android phone with a physical keyboard, ready for a potential release in the U.S. and Europe during the first half of 2021.

You read that right: A new BlackBerry phone with a physical keyboard and 5G, running Google’s Android software, is coming next year. TCL Communications was the last company to produce BlackBerry smartphones. It did so under license from BlackBerry Ltd., which continues to provide mobile security services, but isn’t in the hardware business anymore. TCL let its license lapse in February 2020 when modern, Android-based BlackBerry phones became a thing of the past. Until now.

OnwardMobility has the rights to develop, engineer, and market BlackBerry phones, which sounds like the same deal BlackBerry made with TCL in 2016. Unsurprisingly, it is highlighting the BlackBerry brand’s high level of security and privacy as a major selling point, and although the tone of its website and press release suggests it’s mostly targeting business and governments with its new phone, Digital Trends confirmed with the company that it will sell the upcoming devices to the general public too.

The question then becomes, will anyone want a BlackBerry phone in 2021? When TCL released the BlackBerry KeyOne in 2017 it came on a wave of nostalgia, with many people who started out their mobile life with a BlackBerry phone keen to return to using a physical keyboard. TCL went on to make the much-improved BlackBerry KeyTwo and the BlackBerry KeyTwo LE. It sold to both consumers and businesses.

While the specific reasons why TCL decided not to continue with the license are not known, it’s unlikely it would have stopped if the phones were selling in large numbers. It’s not clear yet how OnwardMobility intends to market its own BlackBerry phone with a physical keyboard to those who are used to smartphones with large touchscreens, and at a time when folding phones are just starting to turn heads. We’ll learn more over the coming months.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Senior Mobile Writer

Andy is a Senior Writer at Digital Trends, where he concentrates on mobile technology, a subject he has written about for…

Mobile

This new Android phone impressed me as soon as I picked it up

A person holding the Oppo Reno10, showing the back of the phone.

I try a lot of smartphones, and I like it when one gives me a good feeling the moment I get it out of the box and start using it. The Oppo Reno 10 managed to do exactly that, with its unusual camera module design, curved screen, and sparkly, yet modern color scheme.

But after playing with the software and taking it out to snap some photos, have I continued to warm to the Reno 10?
Out taking photos with the Reno 10

Mobile

T-Mobile’s huge lead in 5G speeds isn’t going anywhere

OnePlus Nord N300 5G speed test.

It looks like 2023 could shape up to be the year that we reach "peak 5G." While T-Mobile still enjoys a very healthy lead over its rivals, we're no longer seeing significant speed increases from any of the big three U.S. carriers.

That's not surprising for T-Mobile and Verizon since they now cover more than two-thirds of the U.S. population. AT&T still has room to grow, yet it seems to be in a resting phase rather than an expansion one right now.

Mobile

New OnePlus budget phone comes packing 2 super-rare features

OnePlus Nord N30 5G rear face.

OnePlus has introduced a new budget-priced phone for the U.S. market that includes some compelling hardware -- and a couple of rare conveniences. The OnePlus Nord N30 5G will set you back by $300 and is already up for preorders in the U.S., with a free pair of earbuds in tow.
Starting with the standout tricks, this phone comes with a microSD slot for storage expansion. It supports cards with up to 1TB storage capacity, which should be plenty if you are into capturing a lot of videos and high-resolution videos. Just keep in mind that microSD cards of 1TB capacity from reputed brands could cost as much as the phone itself.

Another notable perk is the presence of a 3.5mm headphone jack on the OnePlus Nord N30 5G. You don’t have to fork out extra cash on a USB-C to 3.5mm adapter or splurge on a Bluetooth audio wearable. However, there is more to this OnePlus phone than meets the eye, as some of its hardware perks defy its asking price by a huge margin.
You are greeted by a 6.7-inch Full HD+ (2400 x 1080 pixels) display with a 120Hz refresh rate. For comparison, Apple will charge you $800 for the iPhone 14 Plus, but it still keeps you limited to a slow 60Hz LCD screen. And there is no ugly notch to be seen here, as the selfie camera is neatly housed inside a dot-shaped cutout at the top.
Qualcomm’s octa-core Snapdragon 695 chipset powers this phone, paired with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of onboard storage. The battery capacity is also fairly generous at 5,000 mAh. Plus, you get support for 50-watt fast charging. OnePlus ships the fast charger in the retail package, just in case you’re irked by the bad precedent set by the thousand-dollar phones from Apple and Samsung.