BlackBerry 5G smartphone with physical keyboard is coming next year

BlackBerry has risen from the ashes again.

When BlackBerry Mobile's partnership with TCL ended in February, the brand's survival as a phone maker seemed in jeopardy. But now it has a partnership with OnwardMobility and Foxconn subsidiary FIH Mobile Limited.

The three companies announced Wednesday that they are releasing a 5G Blackberry phone with a physical keyboard.

There are no other details about this upcoming device, but the announcement points out that the emphasis will be on productivity and security.

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“BlackBerry smartphones are known for protecting communications, privacy, and data. This is an incredible opportunity for OnwardMobility to bring next-generation 5G devices to market with the backing of BlackBerry and FIH Mobile," Peter Franklin, CEO of OnwardMobility, said in a statement.

You may be forgiven for not knowing about OnwardMobility. It's a fairly new company that hasn't made headlines before the partnership with BlackBerry. The company was in stealth mode until recently. Franklin, its CEO, previously founded design and software development agency Infuse.us.

According to the announcement, FIH Mobile will design and manufacture BlackBerry devices going forward, with OnwardMobility conducting product planning and market development.

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BlackBerry Mobile hasn't launched a new smartphone since 2018's Key2, which was alright for people who love physical keyboards on phones but far from perfect. Soon, we'll get a chance to see whether the world needs a 5G smartphone with a physical keyboard.

The new BlackBerry phone will be available in the first half of 2021 in North America and Europe.