BlackBerry customers were notified of the upcoming termination of so-called legacy services in a message released on December 22.
The announcement states, “As a reminder, legacy services for BlackBerry 7.1 OS and older, BlackBerry 10 software, BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.1 and prior versions will no longer be accessible after January 4, 2022.”
BlackBerry stated that the phones will no longer operate reliably for “data, phone calls, SMS, and 9-1-1 capabilities” as a result of the shutdown.
BlackBerry, which has transitioned away from phones to become a software firm focused on delivering “intelligent security software and services to corporations and governments,” said in September 2020 that its phone service will be discontinued.
BlackBerry phones were formerly considered prestige symbols by celebrities and CEOs, and they pervaded many aspects of popular culture. The brand peaked in 2012, but as technology moved away from the BlackBerry’s external keyboard and toward the smartphone’s full screen, so did pop culture.
