Zombie BlackBerry phones will finally die off in early 2022

AppleInsider

BlackBerry has announced that many of its classic devices running BlackBerry software will lose access to crucial features in early 2022, effectively spelling the end for the legacy hardware.

BlackBerry

The company announced the end of life of features like calling, texting, and data on classic BlackBerry devices -- such as those running BlackBerry OS 7.1 or earlier, or OS 10 -- will occur on Jan. 4, 2022. Without the ability to call or even text reliably, the devices are pretty much as good as dead.

BlackBerry-branded smartphones that run Android will continue to function normally, however. The end of life only applies to the company's legacy hardware.

This isn't the first time that BlackBerry devices have been declared dead. Back in February 2020, the last major manufacturer of BlackBerry smartphones and tablets announced that it would stop producing the iconic brand. In 2019, BlackBerry shut down its App Store and messaging service.

The BlackBerry brand lives on through third-party licensing. However, whether the devices will make a comeback remains to be seen.

Back in 2020, a Texas company called OnwardMobility said it would release a new 5G Android smartphone with BlackBerry branding in 2021. As of Dec. 31, 2021, that device has yet to be released.

BlackBerry's parent company, BlackBerry Limited, has also moved on to other ventures. Currently, the company sells cybersecurity software and other solutions to enterprise and government customers.

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crowley

Outrageous that the ability to call and text could be withdrawn. Absolutely no justification for it. There should be regulations that stop companies from pulling this shit.

Anilu_777

crowley said:

Outrageous that the ability to call and text could be withdrawn. Absolutely no justification for it. There should be regulations that stop companies from pulling this shit.

It’s a connectivity update that BlackBerrys won’t be getting any more. So when the carriers update their networks the BlackBerrys won’t get a corresponding update from BlackBerry so they still work. Death by a thousand cuts. :’(

fruitstandninja

Every time I think about blackberry it reminds me that you can never rest on your laurels. Same with Blockbuster. 

[Deleted User]

Wait, how is this even possible? Good ole’ 2G phones from back then still work fine in Europe.

sandor

AlexMorello said:

Wait, how is this even possible? Good ole’ 2G phones from back then still work fine in Europe.

Europe is mostly is set on a 2025 shut off for 2G & 3G

Here in the US it is happening more quickly & in a stepped approach (2G mostly deactivated already, 3G going offline in 2022)
Some of it is due to radio spectrum management - we have a lot of "wants", but broadcast spectrum is a finite resource.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/enthusiasts/how-the-3g-shutdown-in-2022-could-screw-your-car/ar-AARF1Ri
https://www.toyota.com/audio-multimedia/support/3g-faq/
https://www.digi.com/blog/post/2g-3g-4g-lte-network-shutdown-updates


Planned obsolescence, forced upgrade paths, etc, etc.
It all applies.

I think, similar to the OTA television upgrade to ATSC, there should be free/low cost hardware to accommodate the shutdown for people who cannot afford it themselves or are disinclined to pay. 235,000 people in the US applied for & got the "coupons" for a digital/analog converter box so they wouldn't be forced to buy a new television.

dewme

Aren’t most 3G carriers in the US getting ready to pull the plug on 3G networks in 2022? This will result in a loss of functionality for 3G only phones. They’ve been warning us about it for a few years and it looks like the major carriers are finally following through.

jimh2

The 3G kill off hits a lot of devices that most would not expect to. With most common being Alarm Panels. I’m sure there are lots of commercial uses for monitoring systems as primary or backup. 

As for the Blackberry phones the last BB OS phone was released in 2013 and their last Android phone was 2015. These phones are just plain obsolete due to age and on top of that most definitely have security issues. If you own these it is time to pick up a new phone. Plenty of cheap to free options available. 

Beats

The last phones that aren’t iPhones/iPhoneys. Sad.

Black Mirror has an episode that pokes at this. In the future all cars on the road looked like the Apple Car.

mike1

dewme said:

Aren’t most 3G carriers in the US getting ready to pull the plug on 3G networks in 2022? This will result in a loss of functionality for 3G only phones. They’ve been warning us about it for a few years and it looks like the major carriers are finally following through.

Yep. And AT&T sent out free phones to those who had older phones that won’t work anymore. My mother-in-law now has a brand new flip phone. 

dewme

mike1 said:

dewme said:

Aren’t most 3G carriers in the US getting ready to pull the plug on 3G networks in 2022? This will result in a loss of functionality for 3G only phones. They’ve been warning us about it for a few years and it looks like the major carriers are finally following through.

Yep. And AT&T sent out free phones to those who had older phones that won’t work anymore. My mother-in-law now has a brand new flip phone. 

That’s cool. I had to jump through a few hoops to move my elderly father-in-law’s 3G Tracfone flipper to a new LTE Tracfone flipper. I think I had a choice of one model to choose from. It took some digging and driving around to find one of these blister packaged beauties hanging on a peg. The store employee said they were selling out pretty much every unit they received as soon as they arrived. A bit of a hassle, but nothing compared to what it would be like trying to teach this particular 87 year old how to use a smartphone. 

MplsP

fruitstandninja said:

Every time I think about blackberry it reminds me that you can never rest on your laurels. Same with Blockbuster. 

To be fair, Blockbuster got caught in a paradigm shift to streaming services. Blackberry just couldn't comprehend that a smartphone was better then their device and quit innovating until it was too little, too late.