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A Blackberry Torch 9800 smartphone is seen after being unveiled at a news conference Aug. 3, 2010, in New York City.
(CNN) — You can no longer use that old BlackBerry phone sitting at the bottom of your drawer somewhere.
On Tuesday, the company is stopping running support for its classic devices running BlackBerry 10, 7.1 OS and earlier. This means all of its older devices not running on Android software will no longer be able to use data, send text messages, access the internet or make calls, even to 911.
While most mobile users have moved on from BlackBerry — the last version of its operating system launched in 2013 — the decision to discontinue support for its phones represents the end of what was once considered bleeding-edge technology.
The company originally announced the news in September 2020 as part of its efforts to focus on providing security software and services to enterprises and governments around the world under the name BlackBerry Limited.
BlackBerry has been mostly out of the phone business since 2016, but over the years it continued to license its brand to phone manufacturers, including TCL and more recently OnwardMobility, an Austin, Texas-based security startup, for a 5G Blackberry device running on Android software. (BlackBerry’s Android devices are not affected by the end of service.)
BlackBerry’s old school cell phones with physical keyboards from the late 1990s and early 2000s were once so popular people nicknamed them “CrackBerries.” The keyboard appealed to professionals who wanted the flexibility of working outside the office with some of the tools they used on a desktop computer.
The devices became a status symbol and fixture for people on Wall Street, celebrities like Kim Kardashian, and even former President Barack Obama, thanks in part to its great reputation for security. At its peak in 2012, BlackBerry had more than 80 million active users.
The company got its start in 1996 as Research In Motion with what it called two-way pagers. Its first gadget, the “Inter@ctive Pager,” allowed customers to respond to pages with a physical keyboard, a kind of text messaging/email hybrid. Three years later, RIM introduced the BlackBerry name with the BlackBerry 850.
Eventually, BlackBerry phones gained support for email, apps, web browsing and BBM, an encrypted text messaging platform that predated WhatsApp and survived long after BlackBerry was surpassed by its rivals.
But Apple’s touchscreen revolution with the iPhone in 2007 made BlackBerry’s offerings appear lacking. It tried touch screens and slide-out keyboard models, with little success. It developed a few phones with no physical keyboard, but those were missing BlackBerry’s key differentiator: its tactile keyboard.
BlackBerry eventually gave up on its own software, embracing Android and layering its security software on top. It found some success in enterprise security software and automotive software.
Although TCL stopped making devices with the BlackBerry name in 2020, some fans are holding out for the arrival of OnwardMobility’s BlackBerry 5G device, which was originally expected to launch in 2021. Despite the delay, its website still features a banner that says “coming 2021.”
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Classic BlackBerry phones stop working as company ends support for them
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Americans spend an average $906 a year for a single person, $1,281 for a married couple according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Add in kids, and your bill could skyrocket to $2,000 or more.
If multiple people use one wireless plan, the price per line is often less than for a plan with a single line.
If you already have a family plan with, say, your spouse, you may reduce the per-line cost by adding your parents or other family members to the plan, too.
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Americans spend an average $906 a year for a single person, $1,281 for a married couple according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Add in kids, and your bill could skyrocket to $2,000 or more.
If multiple people use one wireless plan, the price per line is often less than for a plan with a single line.
If you already have a family plan with, say, your spouse, you may reduce the per-line cost by adding your parents or other family members to the plan, too.
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Classic BlackBerry phones stop working as company ends support for them
Vadym Drobot
This may save you money if the new provider offers price breaks for new customers or has cheaper plans than your current carrier.
For example, a family of four can save close to $930 a year, on average, by switching wireless carriers, says Toni Toikka, president of Alekstra, a research firm that analyzes the wireless service industry.
Plus, carriers may allow you to stack promotions because phone deals and plan deals are separate.
Vadym Drobot
This may save you money if the new provider offers price breaks for new customers or has cheaper plans than your current carrier.
For example, a family of four can save close to $930 a year, on average, by switching wireless carriers, says Toni Toikka, president of Alekstra, a research firm that analyzes the wireless service industry.
Plus, carriers may allow you to stack promotions because phone deals and plan deals are separate.
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Classic BlackBerry phones stop working as company ends support for them
Companies known as “mobile virtual network operators,” or MVNOs, offer coverage from the networks of major carriers, but they often have lower-price plans. Mint Mobile, for example, charges $15 per month for the first three months for 4 GB of data and unlimited calls and texts. After that, monthly prices range from $15 if you commit to a 12-month plan to $25 if you get another three-month plan.
Another MVNO worth a look is Tello, which lets you patch together the quantities of minutes, text messages and data that you need. For instance, you can get unlimited minutes and text messages plus 1 GB of data for $10 a month, 2 GB for $14 or 4 GB for $19.
You can also go unlimited with smaller carriers, too, although there is a caveat with them. Because smaller carriers are using a network provided by one of the Big 3, your data speeds could be slowed during high-traffic times as the big carriers can prioritize their own customers.
Companies known as “mobile virtual network operators,” or MVNOs, offer coverage from the networks of major carriers, but they often have lower-price plans. Mint Mobile, for example, charges $15 per month for the first three months for 4 GB of data and unlimited calls and texts. After that, monthly prices range from $15 if you commit to a 12-month plan to $25 if you get another three-month plan.
Another MVNO worth a look is Tello, which lets you patch together the quantities of minutes, text messages and data that you need. For instance, you can get unlimited minutes and text messages plus 1 GB of data for $10 a month, 2 GB for $14 or 4 GB for $19.
You can also go unlimited with smaller carriers, too, although there is a caveat with them. Because smaller carriers are using a network provided by one of the Big 3, your data speeds could be slowed during high-traffic times as the big carriers can prioritize their own customers.
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Classic BlackBerry phones stop working as company ends support for them
Even if you don’t want to depart your current carrier, you may be able to talk your provider into a better deal.
“A great question to ask is what they’re offering to new customers versus existing customers,” says Andrew Moore-Crispin, director of content for Ting.
Even if you don’t want to depart your current carrier, you may be able to talk your provider into a better deal.
“A great question to ask is what they’re offering to new customers versus existing customers,” says Andrew Moore-Crispin, director of content for Ting.
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Classic BlackBerry phones stop working as company ends support for them
All the major wireless carriers offer a monthly discount, often $5 to $10 per line, on eligible plans for customers who use automatic payments and go paperless. That can add up to significant savings, especially if you have a plan with several lines.
All the major wireless carriers offer a monthly discount, often $5 to $10 per line, on eligible plans for customers who use automatic payments and go paperless. That can add up to significant savings, especially if you have a plan with several lines.
