The time has finally come that your old BlackBerry phone will no longer work.
The company will stop running support officially on Tuesday for its devices operating on BlackBerry 10, 7.1 OS and earlier. The last version of its operating system was launched in 2013, and they stopped manufacturing phones in 2016.
BlackBerry originally announced the decision in September of 2020, as they were transitioning to become a software company named BlackBerry Limited, and decommissioning all its legacy services.
"As of this date, devices running these legacy services and software through either carrier or Wi-Fi connections will no longer reliably function, including for data, phone calls, SMS and 9-1-1 functionality," BlackBerry said in a statement on Dec. 22, 2021.
Newer BlackBerry devices that run on Android software will continue to work for now.
The classic BlackBerry was once a status symbol by business leaders and politicians, including President Barack Obama. At its peak in 2009, BlackBerry owned 20% of the global smartphone market, according to The Guardian.
The launch of the iPhone in 2007 began BlackBerry's downfall, as users then opted for a touch screen device instead of the full QWERTY keyboard. BlackBerry tried to make touch screen and slide-out keyboard models, but they all had little success.
"We thank our many loyal customers and partners over the years," BlackBerry said.
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