Couple years ago BlackBerry was very recognized brand among businessmen and politicians. This was the only company which was offering mobiles with physical keyboard, easy in use e-mail client and dedicated services for business clients. BlackBerry smartphones were also using their own operating system, i.e. BlackBerry OS. However, this solution is prehistoric and BlackBerry company has decided to use Android.
The newest BlackBerry Priv smartphone is the only flagship mobile with physical keyboard, but it is not so popular because of its price. Also, a lot of people have used to their BlackBerry smartphones and they do not want to use Android or iOS device. Unfortunatelly (for these people), BlackBerry will not produce their old mobiles any longer. This is reasonable decision, because every company has to follow the trends and focus on new solutions.
U.S. Senate politicians were recently informed that BlackBerry 10 OS devices will be discontinued.
Of course, they do not have to swap to Apple iPhone SE or Samsung Galaxy S6, but it is recommended. The BlackBerry will provide the support for their older devices, but they will not replace this in case of damage. Fortunately, U.S. Senate still has about 600 pieces of old BlackBerry mobiles. They mainly have BlackBerry Classic and Z30 models, so I bet that politicians will use these devices for some time.
Here you can read the official letter about the situation:
“From: Notice (SAA)
Sent: Wednesday, June 29, 2016 3:56 PM
Subject: BlackBerry DiscontinuationThis message was sent to Administrative Managers, Chief Clerks, and System Administrators.
BlackBerry Discontinuation
BlackBerry informed Verizon and AT&T that production of all BlackBerry OS 10 devices (Q10, Z10, Z30, Passport, and Classic) has been discontinued. Future carrier order fulfillment will not be guaranteed due to limited remaining stock.
BlackBerry device support will continue for the foreseeable future. BlackBerry is committed to maintaining their support of our devices to include uninterrupted warranty and technical support.
Once we have exhausted our current in-house stock, new device procurements will be limited, while supplies last, to warranty exchanges only.
As of June 29, 2016, our BlackBerry device stock levels are:
RIM Classic Verizon BlackBerry – 275
RIM Z30 Verizon Black BlackBerry – 160
RIM Classic AT&T BlackBerry – 45
RIM Passport AT&T BlackBerry – 45
RIM Z10 AT&T Black BlackBerry – 45
RIM Q10 AT&T Black Blackberry – 40
For offices wishing to make the transition from BlackBerry devices to other platforms, Verizon has agreed to suspend eligibility upgrade requirements for users migrating to Samsung S6 Android devices. Additionally, the $0 16GB iPhone SE has been added to the Technology Catalog, although current eligibility upgrade and mandatory AppleCare+ requirements apply.”-Letter sent to Senate staffers
