BlackBerry Dropping the Classic to Focus on 'State of the Art' Devices

BlackBerry is phasing out the BlackBerry Classic, said Chief Operating Officer Ralph Pini in a blog post Tuesday. “To keep innovating and advancing our portfolio, we are updating our smartphone lineup with state of the art devices,” said Pini, turning attention to BlackBerry 10 and Android devices. The BlackBerry Classic, “an incredible workhorse,” exceeded expectations but long surpassed the average lifespan for a smartphone in today’s market, Pini said. BlackBerry will give customers “something better” that maintains BlackBerry’s “legacy in security,” he said. Pini advised Classic users to check with their carriers for device availability or to buy the Classic unlocked online. “We continue to actively support BlackBerry 10 with software updates and are on track to deliver version 10.3.3 next month with a second update to follow next year,” Pini said.