Blackberry manufacturer to end smartphone production in August

Chinese electronics group TCL will stop producing BlackBerry-branded smartphones this year, the companies said on Monday, leaving it unclear whether that will be the end of the line for the once-dominant handsets.

At the end of August, TCL will no longer have rights to design, make or sell BlackBerry smartphones, the Canadian company said in a message shared on Twitter, Punchng.com reports.

“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,” the post read.

Canada-based BlackBerry licensed its smartphone technology to TCL in 2016 in an effort to revive its fortunes in a smartphone market now dominated by Apple and Android-powered handsets.

BlackBerry did not disclose any plans for the future of its once-dominant smartphone line.