The BlackBerry brand rides once more.
The once-respected BlackBerry brand has been licensed yet again by a company hoping to use a familiar name to make a dent in the competitive Android phone market. This time, it’s a new Texas startup named OnwardMobility that’s taking the reins, promising to release a 5G BlackBerry device with Android and a physical QWERTY keyboard in 2021.
Little else is known about the device, including screen size or internal specs, but OnwardMobility told The Register it would come with a completely new keyboard design that will “reflect the brand values from a keyboard typing experience and input experience.” Which, yeah, sure! I love to reflect brand values. Do it all the time.
Another question mark hanging over the yet-unnamed device is what form factor it’ll take, be that a slider mechanism similar to 2015’s BlackBerry Priv, or a more conventional “candy bar” design. While the latter will undoubtedly prove more durable, and will appeal to die-hard QWERTY enthusiasts, a slider mechanism will allow punters to better make use of any display real-estate.
Source: A new 5G BlackBerry phone with Android and a physical keyboard will arrive in 2021 – The Verge
