The Chinese telephone maker TCL will stop selling BlackBerry phones on August 31, the company announced on Monday Twitter. The company had the license to market smartphones under the BlackBerry brand since December 2016.
“TCL no longer has the rights to design, manufacture and sell BlackBerry devices,” the company writes in the statement. It is unclear whether that means that the rights go to another party. A spokesperson was unable to answer that question immediately on Monday.
Owners of BlackBerry phones can still count on support, according to TCL. For example, users with questions up to September 2022 can turn to the company and the warranty will continue to apply until that time.
TCL released the KeyOne and Key2, among others, under the BlackBerry brand. Both Android smartphones are equipped with a physical keyboard. The company therefore deviates from what is common in the market: virtual keyboards.
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