The BlackBerry Classic Is Back: There was a time when the BlackBerry was the king of the mobile world. Before the iPhone showed up in 2007 and rewrote the rulebook, BlackBerry devices were the must-have gadget. From professionals on their morning commute to teenagers on BBM, everyone was clicking away on those tiny physical keyboards like their lives depended on it.
The BlackBerry Classic Is Back
Then came the touchscreen wave and like many tech giants before it, BlackBerry couldn’t quite keep up. The once-mighty Canadian brand slowly faded into the background. There were attempts at a comeback, most notably with the BlackBerry KeyOne and its sleeker sibling the Key2 LE, both of which tried to blend the brand’s trademark keyboard with Android brains.
But in 2020, BlackBerry called it quits. By August that year, the company stopped selling Android phones altogether and closed the chapter for good. Or so we thought.
Guess who’s back in black
According to a report from 9to5Google, BlackBerry is being revived again, this time by a company called Zinwa. And the first resurrection project is none other than the BlackBerry Classic. Yep, the one from 2014.
But this isn’t just a reboot. It’s the same shell, sure, but there’s a new brain inside. Zinwa is keeping the original form factor, including the physical keyboard and screen, but they’re updating everything under the hood. That means:
-
MediaTek Helio G99 processor
-
12GB of RAM
-
256GB of storage
-
3,000mAh battery
-
Android 13 out of the box
-
USB-C, NFC, and an updated modem
-
50MP rear camera and 8MP front-facing camera
It’s a pretty wild combo. Classic on the outside, modern mid-range Android phone on the inside.
The company is also planning to do the same with the BlackBerry Passport and BlackBerry KeyOne, both cult favorites that originally launched back in 2014 and 2017 respectively.
Who’s this for?
Let’s be honest. This isn’t going to dethrone the Galaxy S series or steal Pixel’s thunder. This one’s for the die-hard BlackBerry fans, the keyboard purists, or maybe just folks who are tired of accidentally sending typos through swipes.
If you’re feeling nostalgic or just want to stand out from the sea of glass slabs, you’ll be able to grab the revived BlackBerry Classic for $400. If you’re more into DIY flair, there’s a Q25 kit version for $300. Both are set to be available in August.
No promises on long-term Android updates, though Zinwa says some are in the pipeline. Just don’t expect seven years of security patches like Google or Samsung offer.
The verdict
Should you buy one? If you’re purely in it for performance or future-proof specs, probably not. But if you’ve been secretly missing the satisfying click of physical keys and want to relive the glory days of mobile typing, the new BlackBerry Classic might just be your next quirky sidekick.
Also Read- iOS 26 Beta 2 Update: All Changes and Features in Detail
