[Digital_Islandboy]

Yep... a great number BlackBerry KEY2 owners have disembarked and have moved on to the current Apple, Google, and Samsung devices. No surprise really as these long time BlackBerry users were so frustrated and disappointed with the lack of performance from TCL/BlackBerry Mobile they felt it was in their best interest and only viable option.

Sad really... and ultimately I will no doubt also be abandoning the BlackBerry ship. I don't want to be the last remaining crewmember on this sinking ship...

Bob

BBRY is going down the same exact path as BlackBerry 10 OS again. As a company if they keep releasing products and then stop supporting 2-3 years later you make it difficult for any company to choose your brand as a long term solution.

Imagine if you were the head of IT and you bought these and now you cannot even say if they will be patched again. That erodes trust in brand. And if BBRY says they are a software company sell the software upgrade if you must for some nominal fee even.

[elfabio80]

BBRY is going down the same exact path as BlackBerry 10 OS again. As a company if they keep releasing products and then stop supporting 2-3 years later you make it difficult for any company to choose your brand as a long term solution.

Exactly.... Do not push the update to Pie is a scandal....

[Matt J]

As long as my KEY2 makes it to when I am eligible for an upgrade through Rogers, I will be fine. It still performs as good as the day I got it. It is disappointing that it will not get Android 9 and quite honestly, I will be leaving BlackBerry once and for all.

I can see that there will not be a KEY3, so it's the end of the road. Too bad, I will miss the physical keyboard.

As far as replacing it... I think the Google Pixel is the best option as far as security, service life and upgrades. There is just more value for the money.

[kile6666]

I need Pie. I want Pie. I live for Pie

[conite]

Today I had a chat with some IT guy about my complaint that I'm forced to upgrade to a Android 9 device. Rationale behind this is that Google has stated to stop security patches forr Android 8.
Someone here can confirm that?

Google's patches for Oreo will continue at least until the fall of 2020.

[Matt J]

Google's patches for Oreo will continue at least until the fall of 2020.

LOL. Yes, maybe Google's patches will continue, but not TCLs.

[conite]

LOL. Yes, maybe Google's patches will continue, but not TCLs.

That's not what we're discussing. We are talking about why a corporate policy would ban all Oreo devices.

[conite]

BBRY is going down the same exact path as BlackBerry 10 OS again. As a company if they keep releasing products and then stop supporting 2-3 years later you make it difficult for any company to choose your brand as a long term solution.

Imagine if you were the head of IT and you bought these and now you cannot even say if they will be patched again. That erodes trust in brand. And if BBRY says they are a software company sell the software upgrade if you must for some nominal fee even.

BBMo has only released two generations of devices - one in 2017 and the other in 2018. BlackBerry Limited's history isn't relevant.

In any event, it appears it's all over anyway, so you or any of your purported companies won't have to worry about it anymore.

[conite]

Exactly.... Do not push the update to Pie is a scandal....

I look at it that we got two more generations of devices that I never expected to see. I can only be thankful that TCL gave it a shot and made some fantastic devices.

[cyberdoggie]

In any event, it appears it's all over anyway, so you or any of your purported companies won't have to worry about it anymore.

Conite, this is not the usual you, if you do not mind me saying so. You have always been appearing to defend BB and BBMo over many years, and now you are suggesting it is all over?

[cyberdoggie]

This is the answer I got from BBMo support via twitter upon my yesterday’s request on whether or not an upgrade to Android 9 will be provided to Key2 devices:

“unfortunately at this moment we do not have any information in regards to Android 9 coming up to the KEY2, if available, we will post it via our social media channels”

[Tsepz_GP]

Any update for Key 2 to get Android 9? Some of the company apps require to us to update until Android 9.

That is quite scary when you consider that these were meant to be enterprise devices/devices for people at corporates and business owners, now they won’t be able tot run apps for many large corporates who need at least Android 9.

[Tsepz_GP]

One of the reasons I got rid of my K2 was the Android 9 requirement for BYOD at work. Also, NFC payments stopped working on my other K2 (Indian origin) because bank required more recent security updates while mine stopped Dec 2018. So much for “still a great workhorse all around”.

Geez like
Quite sad considering this thing was released last year and users are already facing these issues as if the phone is 3 years old.

There are people rocking iPhone 6 from 2014 that are still able to access all that and yet an Android from 2018 can’t.

[elfabio80]

I look at it that we got two more generations of devices that I never expected to see. I can only be thankful that TCL gave it a shot and made some fantastic devices.

Say what you want....it is a delusion...or better disgusting.

[Hphv]

Say what you want....it is a delusion...or better disgusting.

We are all victims of the bad sales, BlackBerry not being popular and mainly people just don't know...

Also the disagreements between BlackBerry and TCL.

Each time I go back to full screen I enjoy for watching content and the better camera, but does not weight against the typing frustration...

[chain13]

Geez like
Quite sad considering this thing was released last year and users are already facing these issues as if the phone is 3 years old.

There are people rocking iPhone 6 from 2014 that are still able to access all that and yet an Android from 2018 can’t.

It's not a problem for a chinese phone. Unless it costs more than $600

[Tsepz_GP]

It's not a problem for a chinese phone. Unless it costs more than $600

It’s a problem for anyone wanting to use their smartphone for enterprise, no matter the price.

A phone from 2018 should not be losing support for things this soon.

[conite]

Conite, this is not the usual you, if you do not mind me saying so. You have always been appearing to defend BB and BBMo over many years, and now you are suggesting it is all over?

I like and use their products and am not ashamed to say so. But I've always tried to tell it like I saw it - both good and bad.

[chain13]

It’s a problem for anyone wanting to use their smartphone for enterprise, no matter the price.

A phone from 2018 should not be losing support for things this soon.

I still remember the proudness of getting 2 years update/patches that every members here always babbling out. Until google set a standard for android enterprise, every phone makers decided to follow by giving 2 years update. Then here's TCL.

[tubularbell]

This is the answer I got from BBMo support via twitter upon my yesterday’s request on whether or not an upgrade to Android 9 will be provided to Key2 devices:

“unfortunately at this moment we do not have any information in regards to Android 9 coming up to the KEY2, if available, we will post it via our social media channels”

In line with the answer I got.

[tubularbell]

Google's patches for Oreo will continue at least until the fall of 2020.

Do you have a source for that? Together with my manager we want to start a discussion about this, so it would help if we could show some official Google statement on this.

[vimagreg]

Guys, just to understand, are all of you telling that your employers are obligating you to buy new phones to retain your jobs? That's it? Or are they just informing you the device provided by the company will, soon, be upgraded to more modern devices? I know that's not the main point here, but I got curious about this, since I've never seen this kind of obligation here, and I absolutely don't live in any kind of works contractual paradise - actually I do live in the poor and unfortunate Brazil.

[tubularbell]

Guys, just to understand, are all of you telling that your employers are obligating you to buy new phones to retain your jobs? That's it? Or are they just informing you the device provided by the company will, soon, be upgraded to more modern devices? I know that's not the main point here, but I got curious about this, since I've never seen this kind of obligation here, and I absolutely don't live in any kind of works contractual paradise - actually I do live in the poor and unfortunate Brazil.

No, it's not about losing my job.

It has to do with the fact that I am not allowed to run my work apps on an Android 8 device. So if I want to have access to those apps I have to upgrade to Android 9. But since the company I work for has a BYOD policy that means that I have to buy that device myself. Because the BlackBerry I own does not have Android 9. So if I want to do my work optimally I am being forced to pay for a new phone... Because there is no offer from my employer to provide me a phone that meets the requirements.

That's a world turned upside down... I have to pay to do my work...

[vimagreg]

That's a world turned upside down... I have to pay to do my work...

Exactly this is the absurd I saw in all this situation. In extreme case, if you don´t do your job properly you risk lose it. What obligates you to use YOUR money to buy a tool which will be used to generate revenues - or whatever - for the company. And this same company take the right to tell you which kind of device YOU need to buy in order to fulfill THEIR necessities. Really absurd, indeed. And people keep saying slavery was ended at 19th century...

[phrogpilot73]

You guys can thank the iPhone for the shift from company provided phones to BYOD. It all started when the iPhone came out, and companies were handing out Blackberries. People started asking/begging to get the new, fancy, hotness. Eventually companies started aquiescing, and after that - they realized it was cheaper to just go to BYOD.

From an IT/Cybersecurity/Management standpoint, company provided is easier.