During MWC 2014, BlackBerry unveiled two handsets, the BlackBerry Z3 and the BlackBerry Q20. Given the way BlackBerry has been naming their handsets, we guess we’re all pretty much used to referring to them by their name and model number, but apparently for the BlackBerry Q20, BlackBerry’s CEO John Chen decided to remind everyone that the handset will actually be named as the BlackBerry Classic.
Now Chen has tossed that name around for a while but everyone had assumed that “Classic” was just a codename for it, like how the BlackBerry Z3 is known as Jakarta, and how we have also come across devices codenamed “Kopi”, “Cafe”, and “Cyclone”. The folks at N4BB have since confirmed this with BlackBerry who has confirmed that the Classic name is here to stay.
In fact we can’t say we’re too surprised especially given how Chen has lauded the handset, claiming that it will appeal to BlackBerry loyalists and old-school fans who appreciated the way BlackBerry has designed their handsets in the past. Based on what we know so far, especially since there haven’t been any photos, the BlackBerry Classic will feature an integrated trackpad and a tool belt of buttons, similar to what they have done in the past with devices like the BlackBerry Bold 9900.
This definitely sounds like an old-school BlackBerry handset, albeit with BlackBerry 10 running under the hood. We’re not sure if this is the direction that BlackBerry should be heading, but perhaps in a world full of touchscreen smartphones, perhaps a little old-school is needed. The BlackBerry Classic is expected to launch in the fall of 2014, so we guess we will have to wait until then to see how well-receive it is. In the meantime what do you guys make of the BlackBerry Classic moniker, yay or nay?
Filed in . Read more about BlackBerry, BlackBerry Classic and Blackberry Q20.