Waterloo, Ontario-based BlackBerry (ticker: BBRY) is doing away with its Classic, a move precipitated by the legions of more agile smartphones currently on the market.
The Classic is one of the last versions of BlackBerry‘s phones with a physical keyboard, reports TechCrunch. Politico first reported the news via a leaked U.S. Senate memo ahead of the holiday weekend. That memo named many BlackBerry OS10 devices that would no longer be manufactured, though BlackBerry tells TechCrunch (and says in a statement) it’s just the Classic. This means those who still want a physical keyboard can still get one, for now.
“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,” Ralph Pini, BlackBerry’s COO and general manager for devices says in a statement.
The device, which went on sale in December 2014, is 60 percent bigger than the BlackBerry Bold 9900, with extended battery life, the Associated Press reports.
Despite its cell phone struggles, CEO John Chen has said he still wants to compete in hardware. Given its current state in the market, the statement remains untenable.
BlackBerry stock is down 2.66 percent in afternoon trading Tuesday, and has fallen 17 percent in the last year.
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BlackBerry (BBRY) Will Discontinue Its Classic Smartphone originally appeared on usnews.com
