BlackBerry Classic

Last updated
BlackBerry Classic
Blackberry Q20 smartphone.jpg
Manufacturer BlackBerry
Type Smartphone
Slogan "Your Power. Upgraded."
Availability by regionFebruary 4, 2014 (2014-02-04)
Predecessor BlackBerry Q10
BlackBerry Bold
Successor BlackBerry KeyOne
Related BlackBerry Z30
BlackBerry Passport
Compatible networks LTE, PCS, CDMA, HSPA+, GSM & EDGE
Form factor Bar/Slate
Dimensions131 mm (5.2 in) H
72.4 mm (2.85 in) W
10.2 mm (0.40 in) D
Weight178 g (6.28 oz)
Operating system BlackBerry 10.3.3
CPU Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Plus 1.5 GHz dual-core Krait
GPU Adreno 225
Memory2 GB RAM
Storage16 GB flash memory
Removable storage Up to the exFAT file system limit [1]
Battery2515 mAH non-removable battery
Rear camera8 megapixels, 1080p@30fps and 720p@60fpsvideo capture
Front camera 2 MP, 720p video capture
Display3.5-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 inPeople's Republic of China
Website http://www.blackberry.com/classic

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]

Contents

Specifications

Hardware

The 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

BlackBerry Classic ships with BlackBerry OS 10.3.1 and is upgradable to 10.3.3.

Reception

The 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

In 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]

Modding

In June 2025, the Chinese company Zinwa Technologies unveiled the Q25, a modified version of the BlackBerry Classic upgraded to run on Android 14 (originally announced with Android 13). The device features a new motherboard including MediaTek's Helio G99 processor, 12 GB RAM, 256 GB of internal flash storage, expandable storage via microSD card up to 1 TB, NFC support, and All-Band LTE VoLTE. Other specifications include a non-removable 3000 mAh Li-ion battery, a 50 MP rear camera with LED flash, a 8 MP front-facing camera with auto-focus, a USB-C port, and a retained 3.5 mm headphone jack. [13] [14] [15] [16]

Zinwa offers both a fully assembled device and a retrofit kit for existing BlackBerry Classic owners. The company has also announced tentative plans to retrofit the BlackBerry KEYone, Passport (Q30) and Q10 in future models. [17] [18] [19]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "BlackBerry 10.3.x smartphones support external storage up to exFAT file system limit". Archived from the original on 2020-11-12. Retrieved 2018-06-14.
  2. ↑ Brad Reed (17 December 2014). "Everything old is new again: BlackBerry unveils the Classic". BGR.
  3. ↑ Matt Hamblen (17 December 2014). "BlackBerry's new Classic smartphone has a physical keyboard, sells for $449". Computerworld.
  4. ↑ "BlackBerry Classic Specifications". GSMArena. Retrieved August 14, 2018.
  5. ↑ Matt Egan (15 May 2015). "BlackBerry Classic". The Informr.
  6. ↑ David Nield (14 January 2015). "BlackBerry Classic review". TechRadar.
  7. ↑ "BlackBerry Passport and BlackBerry Classic not selling says Morgan Stanley". Phone Arena. 16 March 2015.
  8. ↑ Chris Johnston (19 December 2014). "BlackBerry hit by worse-than-expected sales". the Guardian.
  9. ↑ "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.
  10. ↑ The Canadian Press (July 26, 2016). "BlackBerry launching new smartphone with emphasis on beefed up security". CBC News. CBC. Retrieved July 26, 2016.
  11. ↑ Cheng, Roger (July 26, 2016). "BlackBerry's cheaper DTEK 50 skips the keyboard, but keeps Android". CNET. CBS Interactive, Inc. Retrieved July 26, 2016.
  12. ↑ "BlackBerry: BB10 And Keyboard Phones Are Not Dead". 14 July 2016.
  13. ↑ Williams, Wayne (2025-06-14). "Zinwa Q25 brings Android 13 and new internals to the old BlackBerry Classic". TechRadar. Retrieved 2025-07-24.
  14. ↑ Pall, Omair (2025-06-16). "Zinwa Q25 Revives BlackBerry Classic With Modern Hardware And Nostalgic Charm". Mashable India. Retrieved 2025-09-01.
  15. ↑ "Zinwa Q25 brings Android 13 and new internals to the old BlackBerry Classic". Yahoo Tech. 2025-06-14. Retrieved 2025-09-01.
  16. ↑ "Zinwa BlackBerry Revival Q25 Classic with Android Modern Specs KEYone Passport Details and Pre-Order". Technetbook | The Tech Experts. 2025-06-04. Retrieved 2025-09-01.
  17. ↑ Fedewa, Joe (2025-08-15). "You Can Buy a Modded BlackBerry Classic With Android for $420". How-To Geek. Retrieved 2025-09-01.
  18. ↑ "BlackBerry Classic is being revived with Android, and it can be yours for $400". Android Authority. 2025-08-15. Retrieved 2025-09-01.
  19. ↑ "Join the BB Revival Discord Server!". Discord. Retrieved 2025-09-01.
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