Blackberry says bye-bye to full Classic keypad

Ailing smartphone maker Blackberry started waving bye-bye to its iconic keyboard on Wednesday, as the company announced it will discontinue its Classic model handset.

The Canadian technology firm boomed in the mid-2000s with its range of email-capable devices that featured a full QWERTY keypad, making the phones a preference for many professionals over the more cumbersome numeric keypads on most other phones at the time.

Toronto and Nasdaq-listed Blackberry - formerly known as Research In Motion - made the announcement in a corporate blog post penned by chief operating officer and general manager of devices Ralph Pinni.

“To keep innovating and advancing our portfolio, we are updating our smartphone lineup with state of the art devices,” Pinni said.

“As part of this, and after many successful years in the market, we will no longer manufacture BlackBerry Classic.”

Pinni said Classic and its BBOS predecessors have been a major part of the company’s portfolio for a number of years.

“It has been an incredible workhorse device for customers, exceeding all expectations.

“But, the Classic has long surpassed the average lifespan for a smartphone in today’s market,” he explained.

“We are ready for this change so we can give our customers something better - entrenched in our legacy in security and pedigree in making the most productive smartphones.”

The Classic was initially released in late 2014 in a bid to win back customers who had been alienated by an earlier decision to cut the QWERTY keypad.

Blackberry’s handset business has long been in a state of decline, and reported a quarterly loss of $670m last month.

The company said customers wishing to purchase a Classic device would need to do so now, by checking with their mobile operators for availability or purchasing an unlocked one direct from Blackberry.