BlackBerry Classic Mourned By Fans, Mocked By Critics

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BlackBerry is not making the popular Classic smartphone model anymore. This announcement has left many fans in mourning and set critics laughing, reports CBC News. In December 2014 when the Classic was first launched, the Canadian firm said it was well beyond “the average lifespan for a smartphone in today’s market.”

BlackBerry Classic: end of an era

The BlackBerry Classic was hailed for the return of the QWERTY keypad. The smartphone even brought back its Brick Breaker game as well.

In a blog post on Tuesday, Ralph Pini, BlackBerry’s chief operating officer and general manager for devices, said, “It has been an incredible workhorse device for customers, exceeding all expectations.”

After the announcement, discussions surrounding the Classic began trending on Twitter, complete with memories, condolences and cheap shots at the Canadian firm and its products. The announcement even brought out many loyal BlackBerry fans defending the brand. Many said they felt the need to support the Waterloo-based company and would stick with the brand for as long as they could. Actor Ben Affleck has been seen sporting a Classic as well.

A user wrote, “I loved my blackberry classic and if they make a modernized blackberry next upgrade I’ll go back in a heartbeat.”

Journalists were the most vocal about Tuesday’s announcement. According to them, the smartphone’s keyboard made it easier to file stories from the road.

Richard Quest, a business correspondent for CNN International, was among the mourners, and declared the news “the end of civilization.” He wrote, “Ok. I may be old Luddite but I love BlackBerry Classic with its real QWERTY keyboard.”

Another user wrote the Classic made typing for journalists easy. “My current phone is constantly vulnerable to turning santa into satan.”

Some laughed at it too

There were insults for the Canadian firm as well. In the world of smartphones, the Waterloo-based company has become a kind of punchline due to its dropping sales and lack of apps. Facebook and CBC News have already ended support for the BlackBerry versions of their apps.

There was a joke for almost every tweet in support of the Classic.

In reply to a user who wrote that BlackBerry dropping the Classic model from its lineup is bad news for its user base, one user said, “If you still own and use a Blackberry Classic, let me know and I’ll gladly give you a tour of 2016.”

Meanwhile, to fill in the gap, the Canadian firm is planning to release two mid-range Android-powered smartphones during its current fiscal year.

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