BlackBerry phones were still showcased at TCL's booth during CES 2020
Chinese electronics group TCL will halt the production of BlackBerry-branded phones this year. But it isn't clear if this marks the end of the once-dominant Canadian handset brand. According to BlackBerry's official Twitter, TCL will lose its rights to design, make, or sell BlackBerry smartphones by the end of August. BlackBerry licensed its smartphone technology to TCL back in 2016 in hopes of reviving the brand against the stiff competition it faced from Apple and Android-powered devices. BlackBerry retained control over the software and security on smartphones, while TCL made the hardware.
BlackBerry didn't say what the future holds for its mobile brand, but it said in the post, "The future is bright for both TCL Communication and BlackBerry Limited, and we hope you will continue to support both as we move ahead on our respective paths."