BlackBerry used to be a strong brand when it came to smartphones but after being crushed by its competition, the once strong brand name is now rarely heard when it comes to coming out with new content.
OnwardMobility Tried to Resurrect the BlackBerry Brand After a Number of 'Failed Attempts'
According to the story by AndroidPolice, a small Austin-based company, OnwardMobility, was trying to resurrect the once extremely popular smartphone brand, BlackBerry, after numerous years and "many failed attempts." Despite the company stating the 5G BlackBerry was delayed, they noted that it is "still happening."
As per a blog post, the company announced delays that had prevented them "from shipping in 2021" and that they will be providing "more regular updates" and clarify questions regarding the "ultra-secure 5G enterprise smartphone."
License to Use the BlackBerry Name was Canceled for OnwardMobility
As per the founder of CrackBerry, Kevin Michaluk, in a statement to Android Police, "OnwardMobility is not moving forward with the project after its license to use the BlackBerry name was canceled."
After BlackBerry sold the remaining "mobile patent portfolio" for $600 early in February of this year, the company is reportedly "looking to further distance itself from its days as a smartphone vendor."
No Pictures of 5G BlackBerry by OnwardMobility Surfaced
To add to the fire, there are no photos of the 5G BlackBerry by OnwardMobility that have surfaced with its design reportedly taking cues from another Android-powered slider phone that was released back in 2015, the Priv.
In about 2017, the company reportedly entered a license agreement with TLC seeing Android devices using the BlackBerry name being manufactured by a Chinese company. These include models like the KEYone and KEY2.
BlackBerry Pulls Support from OnwardMobility Project '5G BlackBerry'
The license agreement with BlackBerry was allowed to lapse by TLC after tensions started to surface regarding the company "over ongoing software support for its Android phones." Shortly after this, the Canadian firm reportedly ventured into the mobile space again partnering with FIH Mobile Limited, a subsidiary of Foxconn, and OnwardMobility.
Sources state that John Chen's, the CEO of BlackBerry, change of heart regarding putting the BlackBerry brand on a smartphone again along with continued delays related to the supply chain have caused their decision to "pull support for the project."
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OnwardMobility Can No Longer Use the BlackBerry Name
This means that OnwardMobility is left without the ability to use the BlackBerry name and due to this, the company "decided not to go ahead." Regarding the future of OnwardMobility, however, it is still unclear as to whether the company will be shutting down entirely.
OnwardMobility was initially incorporated in 2018 and since then, the company has yet "to release a product." Should the company not shut down, it could still "turn what remains of its of its phone project into something viable" despite not having the BlackBerry name attached to it.
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This article is owned by Tech Times
Written by Urian B.
