Despite delays, a 5G Blackberry phone is still in development, complete with the iconic physical keyboard.

Blackberry devices were once some of the most popular PDAs and smartphones on the market, before getting trounced by Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android. Despite its fall from grace, the Blackberry maintains a loyal customer base, with many preferring the physical keyboard to software-based, onscreen options.

Blackberry no longer manufactures its own devices, but has licensed the rights to do so to outside companies. TCL lost its license to make Blackberry devices in February 2020, but OnwardMobility gained the contract in August 2020, and promised to deliver a new, 5G model in 2021.

Despite 2021 having passed with no new Blackberry, OnwardMobility wants its customers to know they are coming.

To all of you who have patiently waited so long for updates from OnwardMobility, we are humbly aware that we owe you some form of communication as we enter 2022. And to misquote Mark Twain, as so many do, “Contrary to popular belief, we are not dead.”

The company also promises to provide more updates to future customers moving forward.

While we encountered various delays that prevented us from shipping in 2021, we will be providing more regular updates starting this month that will clarify and answer many of your questions about the ultra-secure 5G enterprise smartphone (still with a keyboard!) we’re bringing to market.