A new BlackBerry Android phone is set to release in 2021, and thanks to a new 'pre-commitment' program that just launched, it looks like the mysterious handset could be arriving sooner rather than later. This program comes by way of OnwardMobility, which acquired the rights to produce BlackBerry-branded smartphones in August 2020. The U.S.-based OnwardMobility has promised the release of a new BlackBerry phone since then, but up until now, there's been no evidence of anything coming to fruition.
Prior to OnwardMobility taking the reigns of the BlackBerry name, the brand has had a rough go of it in recent years. While still being operated by parent company BlackBerry Limited, the company tried releasing phones with the BlackBerry 10 operating system — including the likes of the BlackBerry Q10, Z10, Classic, Passport, and others. After failing to find any success, BlackBerry Limited called upon TCL to start crafting Android phones with the BlackBerry name. The first major release under this partnership, the BlackBerry KeyOne, launched in 2017 with mixed reactions. After launching a few other middling devices throughout the rest of the year and in 2018, TCL eventually called it quits in 2020.
All eyes have been on OnwardMobility to see what it'll do next with the BlackBerry brand, and thankfully, it appears that something is finally happening. Almost a full year after it began its BlackBerry partnership, OnwardMobility has announced its 'Pre-Commitment Program' to start building hype around its first BlackBerry devices. The program is expected to "expand our [OnwardMobility's] engagement with customers interested in purchasing the new and innovative Blackberry 5G smartphones." While details on these new BlackBerry 5G smartphones still remain nonexistent, this is a step in the right direction.
Why You Should Join The BlackBerry Pre-Commitment Program
If someone decides to join the Pre-Commitment Program, OnwardMobility touts a few perks that come with doing so. For starters, anyone that joins will be the first to receive "product, feature, and availability updates before the general public." OnwadMobility also suggests that people will have some input in the creation of these phones, noting that folks will "provide input to directly influence product features and functionality." Last but certainly not least, members of the program will be among the first to pre-order "the device" and receive it at launch.
OnwardMobility has been claiming to launch its first BlackBerry phone in 2021 for nearly a year now, and the fact that pre-orders are mentioned suggests a device may finally be ready to ship soon. It is concerning that no other info is available, but this is better than where OnwardMobility was before.
For anyone interested in joining, doing so is pretty simple. OnwardMobility asks for people's names, email addresses, and which network provider they plan on using the phone with. There are also sections to put in a company name and the estimated number of devices someone plans on ordering, going up to 1000+. The idea of an enterprise-focused BlackBerry phone in 2021 might sound appealing to some people, but given how badly TCL's devices did, it's hard to imagine OnwardMobility doing any better.
Source: OnwardMobility