BlackBerry, the once-popular smartphone, is winding down support for the classic BlackBerry smartphones that run BlackBerry OS and BlackBerry 10.
Due to this, basic functions such as calls, cellular data, SMS, and emergency calls may stop working on BlackBerry phones. This does not affect BlackBerry smartphones that run Android. BlackBerry OS support officially ended on January 4, 2022.
“As a reminder, the legacy services for BlackBerry 7.1 OS and earlier, BlackBerry 10 software, BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.1, and earlier versions will no longer be available after January 4, 2022. 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 ushered in a new dependence on mobile phones in the early 2000s. It provided access to the internet with a QWERTY keyboard that could send off texts and emails in seconds.
When the iPhone debuted in 2007, it suffocated the Blackberry. Its market share slumped from 20 percent in 2009 to less than 5 percent in 2012. By 2016, Research in Motion ceased production of the phone and turned its focus to software.
