‘BlackBerry’ To Stop Making ‘Classic,’ U.S. Senate Makes Switch To ‘iOS’ Or ‘Android’

For the majority of smartphone users, making the switch to the latest and most popular devices is the normal thing to do. For most Americans, this would be the next “iPhone” iteration. For the rest of the world, it would be the next “Samsung,” “LG” or “Asus” phones. For the U.S. Senate and many government workers, the “BlackBerry” has been a favorite device, until the maker decided to stop manufacturing the “Classic.”

According to USA Today, the U.S. Senate has decided to stop providing their staff and members “BlackBerry” devices next year. Instead, they will be moving on to other devices, as most smartphone users have. This was according to a memo that was sent to staff members by the Senate Sergeant at Arms to government administrative managers.

In the memo, the reason for the change was because “BlackBerry told telecom carriers Verizon and AT&T that production of all Blackberry OS 10 devices (Q10, Z10, Z30, Passport and Classic) is being discontinued and future fulfillment can't be guaranteed.”

The smartphone manufacturer confirmed the cancellation of the company’s attempt at cashing in on the nostalgia among users for their old, unwieldy “Curve” or “Edge” units with all of the buttons. Speaking to USA Today, “BlackBerry” said that only the “Classic” will no longer be produced and all the other phones will still be sold. The “Classic” phones that are already in stock will still be available for use, however, and “BlackBerry” states that it will still be providing warranty for all the phones.

As Digital Trends pointed out, the “Classic” was meant to draw in the fans that the company has alienated when they decided to remove the keypads in favor of a touchscreen feature similar to most modern smartphones. The hardcore users who loved the old “BlackBerries” did so because of how distinct they were. Unfortunately, reception for the “Classic” wasn’t at all that great.