TCL has announced in a tweet that it will no longer sell BlackBerry-branded mobile devices from end August. Without giving any background details, the company said it no longer has the rights to design, manufacture or sell any new BlackBerry mobile devices, though it will continue to support existing customers, until end August 2022 or as far as local laws require.
BlackBerry stopped producing its own phones in 2016 and cut its licensing deal with TCL in December of that year, in order to focus more on its mobility software. It also licensed companies in southeast Asia to produce Blackberry-brand devices, such as BB Merah Putih in Indonesia, which put out a single phone in 2017. TCL had the rights for other regions.
TCL recently unveiled its first own-branded mobile devices, including a 5G smartphone which it plans to launch later this year. It also presented a number of smart home devices and new smartphones under the Alcatel brand. The company launched its first own-brand smartphone at IFA 2019.
