BlackBerry’s Comeback: A Retro Revival With a Modern Twist

Nostalgia Meets New Tech

The BlackBerry Classic, once the pride of South Africa’s smartphone scene, is getting a second life. A Chinese firm, Zinwa Technologies, has announced plans to bring the iconic device back — this time as the Zinwa Q25 Pro. The comeback pairs the beloved QWERTY keyboard with Android hardware, giving die-hard BlackBerry fans a taste of old-school charm wrapped in modern performance.

For many South Africans, the news stirs up memories of the early 2010s when BlackBerry was more than just a phone. It was a lifestyle. BBM was the social lifeline, BIS was the ultimate bargain, and the Curve 8520 ruled high school playgrounds and university campuses alike.

The Zinwa Q25 Pro: What’s Inside

Zinwa isn’t just dusting off old handsets. The BlackBerry Classic Q20 is being retrofitted with brand-new guts to keep up with today’s smartphones. Expect a MediaTek Helio G99 chip, 12GB RAM, and up to 256GB storage — more power than any BlackBerry ever dreamed of.

The upgrades also include:

• A 50MP rear camera and 5MP selfie lens

• A 3,000mAh battery, boosted by 15% from the original

• A switch to USB-C for faster charging

• Android 13 as the operating system, though without guaranteed future updates

Even the legendary trackpad is back, reportedly working seamlessly on the Android interface.

For those who want in, the Q25 Pro will sell for $420 (R7,406 excl. VAT and duties), while a DIY conversion kit for existing BlackBerry Q20 owners will cost around $320 (R5,643). Zinwa says the first 100 backers will get their devices by late August, with mass production starting mid-September.

BlackBerry’s Rise and Fall in South Africa

At its peak, BlackBerry was untouchable in South Africa. Between 2011 and 2013, it was voted the country’s “coolest brand” three years running, with BBM crowned the “coolest app.” The winning formula? Affordable devices, free-flowing BBM chats, and the unbeatable BlackBerry Internet Service (BIS), which gave users unlimited data for just R59 per month.

But cracks soon appeared. As data speeds slowed, outages grew frequent, and competitors like Apple, Samsung, and Huawei entered the scene, BlackBerry’s grip loosened. WhatsApp’s rise was the final blow, as BBM never expanded widely enough beyond its own ecosystem. By 2014, South Africans had moved on, and BlackBerry was left behind.

Will South Africans Buy Into the Revival?

The big question is whether nostalgia will be enough to drive sales. The Q25 Pro isn’t cheap, and while its physical keyboard may thrill former users, younger buyers raised on touchscreens might see it as more gimmick than game-changer.

Still, there’s already chatter online. Tech nostalgics, retro collectors, and former BBM devotees are curious. Could this be the start of a cult comeback, or just a flash of nostalgia?

One thing is certain: in a world dominated by near-identical slabs of glass, the sight of a BlackBerry keyboard could feel like a breath of fresh air.

Source:MyBroad Band 

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