The BlackBerry Classic, originally known as the BlackBerry Q20, is a touchscreen-based smartphone with a physical QWERTY, AZERTY or QWERTZ keyboard developed by BlackBerry, previously known as RIM (Research In Motion). The BlackBerry Classic was unveiled on December 17, 2014, and it runs the BlackBerry 10 operating system.[2] Its design is similar to the BlackBerry Q10 in form and feel and especially to the BlackBerry Bold 9900 and related lines in that they feature an optical trackpad which can complement or be used as primary means of navigation instead of or with the device's touch-screen.[3]
 | |
| Manufacturer | BlackBerry |
|---|---|
| Type | Smartphone |
| Slogan | "Your Power. Upgraded." |
| Availability by region | February 4, 2014 |
| Predecessor | BlackBerry Q10 |
| Related | BlackBerry Bold |
| Compatible networks | LTE, PCS, CDMA, HSPA+, GSM & EDGE |
| Form factor | Bar/Slate |
| Dimensions | 131 mm (5.2 in) H 72.4 mm (2.85 in) W 10.2 mm (0.40 in) D |
| Weight | 178 g (6.28 oz) |
| Operating system | BlackBerry 10.3.3 |
| CPU | Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Plus 1.5 GHz dual-core Krait |
| GPU | Adreno 225 |
| Memory | 2 GB RAM |
| Storage | 16 GB flash memory |
| Removable storage | Up to the exFAT file system limit[1] |
| Battery | 2515 mAH non-removable battery |
| Rear camera | 8 megapixels, 1080p@30fps and 720p@60fpsvideo capture |
| Front camera | 2 MP, 720p video capture |
| Display | 3.5-inch IPS AMLCD at 294 ppi, 720 x 720px |
| Connectivity | IEEE 802.11n-2009, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC, Micro HDMI, Micro-USB |
| Data inputs | Multi-touch touchscreen, physical QWERTY or AZERTY or QWERTZ keyboard, optical trackpad |
| SAR | Head: 0.70 W/kg 1 g Body: 0.62 W/kg 1 g Hotspot: 1.23 W/kg 1 g |
| Made in | People's Republic of China |
| Website | http://www.blackberry.com/classic |
Specifications
editHardware
editThe BlackBerry Classic has a square 3.5-inch 720×720 IPS AMLCD Display, it sports a dual-core 1.5 GHz Krait Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Plus processor, 2 GB of RAM, and 16 GB of internal storage, which can be expanded up to 256 GB using a microSD card. The phone has a non-removable 2515 mAh Li-ion battery, an 8 MP rear camera with LED flash, and a 2 MP front-facing camera with auto-focus. The device is available in multiple colours, Black, White, and Blue.[4]
Software
editBlackBerry Classic ships with BlackBerry OS 10.3.1 and is upgradable to 10.3.3.
Reception
editThe BlackBerry Classic received generally positive reviews from critics, with average ratings of 7/10.[5] TechRadar gave a 3.5/5 score, praising the speed of the web browser and messaging services, but expressing disappointment toward a lack of apps and the phone's physical weight.[6]
Sales
editIn March 2015, financial firm Morgan Stanley issued a report claiming both the BlackBerry Passport and Classic were "not selling" and that only 8,000 units combined were sold in that financial quarter.[7] According to The Guardian, general sales had reached $793 million, which was below BlackBerry's $927 million expectations.[8]
On July 5, 2016, BlackBerry announced that it would cease production of the Classic globally.[9] This ignited speculation that the Classic had been the last BlackBerry with a physical keyboard and with BlackBerry 10. However, on July 26, 2016, the company hinted that another model with a traditional keyboard was "coming shortly".[10][11] Previously, COO Marty Beard had debunked the rumours about the end of BlackBerry 10.[12]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ BlackBerry 10.3.x smartphones support external storage up to exFAT file system limit
- ^ Brad Reed (17 December 2014). "Everything old is new again: BlackBerry unveils the Classic". BGR.
- ^ Matt Hamblen (17 December 2014). "BlackBerry's new Classic smartphone has a physical keyboard, sells for $449". Computerworld.
- ^ "BlackBerry Classic Specifications". GSMArena. Retrieved August 14, 2018.
- ^ Matt Egan (15 May 2015). "BlackBerry Classic". The Informr.
- ^ David Nield (14 January 2015). "BlackBerry Classic review". TechRadar.
- ^ "BlackBerry Passport and BlackBerry Classic not selling says Morgan Stanley". Phone Arena. 16 March 2015.
- ^ Chris Johnston (19 December 2014). "BlackBerry hit by worse-than-expected sales". the Guardian.
- ^ "BlackBerry Ends Production of Classic Smartphone - Government on CIO Today". www.cio-today.com. Archived from the original on 2016-07-08. Retrieved 2016-07-16.
- ^ The Canadian Press (July 26, 2016). "BlackBerry launching new smartphone with emphasis on beefed up security". CBC News. CBC. Retrieved July 26, 2016.
- ^ Cheng, Roger (July 26, 2016). "BlackBerry's cheaper DTEK 50 skips the keyboard, but keeps Android". CNET. CBS Interactive, Inc. Retrieved July 26, 2016.
- ^ "BlackBerry: BB10 And Keyboard Phones Are Not Dead". 14 July 2016.