Hello 2010? BlackBerry developing new phone – complete with classic keyboard

By Louise Carey
published

BlackBerry CEO has announced that new BlackBerry camera phone will have 5G and a wide touchscreen on the top

BlackBerry smartphone
(Image credit: BlackBerry)

Once synonymous with cutting edge phone technology, BlackBerry is now a name rarely mentioned in the world of smartphones. However, could that all be about to change? OnwardMobility, the new owner of BlackBerry, has announced that we will be seeing a new BlackBerry 5G handset arrive at some point in 2021.

There hasn't been much information released about this upcoming BlackBerry smartphone, but we do know that it will have a classic BlackBerry QWERTY keyboard and will use 5G technology.

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We've also heard that there will be a "wide touchscreen" at the top of the phone to complement the physical keyboard at the bottom, according to (opens in new tab) news site MENAFN. Additionally, BlackBerry CEO Peter Franklin has said that the handset will offer a "suite of end-to-end security solutions", but most of the other details still haven't been officially released yet.

However, reports have suggested that BlackBerry owner OnwardMobility is working with Taiwanese multinational electronics contract manufacturer Foxconn to develop this smartphone. Foxconn is known for its work with Apple on handsets such as the iPhone 12 Pro (opens in new tab), so it will be interesting to see what kind of technology will be produced from this partnership.

Apparently, this BlackBerry 5G smartphone will be launched in North America, Europe and Asian markets, according to Franklin. It's thought that the handset will be launched at some point during 2021, but there isn't any specific information regarding the launch date or pricing at the moment. 

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Louise Carey
Louise Carey

With over a decade of photographic experience, Louise arms Digital Camera World with a wealth of knowledge on photographic technique and know-how – something at which she is so adept that she's delivered workshops for the likes of ITV and Sue Ryder. Louise also brings years of experience as both a web and print journalist, having served as features editor for Practical Photography magazine and contributing photography tutorials and camera analysis to titles including Digital Camera Magazine (opens in new tab) and  Digital Photographer (opens in new tab). Louise currently shoots with the Fujifilm X-T200 and the Nikon D800, capturing self-portraits and still life images, and is DCW's ecommerce editor, meaning that she knows good camera, lens and laptop deals when she sees them.

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