BlackBerry phones are being revived.

The BlackBerry Classic was once a sensation. Photo: Zinwa Technologies .

A Chinese company called Zinwa Technologies is on a journey to revive old BlackBerry devices, with a few modifications. The company is working to reproduce a limited number of the BlackBerry Classic Q20, which launched a decade ago, and install the Android operating system on the phone.

This revived phone will be sold under the name Zinwa Q25 Pro. To ensure hardware compatibility with Android, the BlackBerry Classic is equipped with a completely new motherboard, using the MediaTek Helio G99 chipset, 12GB of RAM, and up to 256GB of internal storage. The Classic's touchscreen also helps minimize conflicts when running the Android interface.

Among other changes, Zinwa has upgraded the Q20's original battery by nearly 15% and added a new camera system, including a 50MP rear camera and an 8MP front camera. While the current version still lacks 5G, the new chipset provides 4G LTE support. The development team also replaced the micro USB port with a USB Type-C port to increase charging and data transfer speeds.

According to shared prototypes, BlackBerry's signature touchpad still works smoothly on the new device. The Zinwa Q25 Pro is running a minimalist version of Android 13, not the latest version 16.

The company stated that there are currently no concrete plans to update to newer versions unless there is sufficient community interest to drive development. Therefore, prospective buyers should consider that this product may not receive long-term support from Zinwa.

The BlackBerry Classic screen is equipped with the new operating system. Photo: Zinwa Technologies .

However, according to Android Authority , if all goes well, Zinwa may continue to re-equip other BlackBerry models, including the Passport and KeyOne. The KeyOne is one of the few BlackBerry models that previously came pre-installed with Android.

Eric Migicovsky, founder of the smartwatch company Pebble, shared a photo of his modified Q20 on the X. “The Android board that replaced the Q20 fits perfectly in the original frame. The soft-touch back cover makes it feel like a real BlackBerry again,” he wrote.

BlackBerry was not just a phone brand, but a phenomenon that lasted for many years. Throughout the 2000s, especially between 2005 and 2012, owning a BlackBerry was a status symbol for its users.

BlackBerry is famous for its convenient QWERTY keyboard, which perfected what touchscreen phones at the time couldn't do well: fast and accurate typing. The phone was often associated with businesspeople, politicians , and those in finance, and it still evokes nostalgic feelings today.

The Zinwa Q25 Pro costs $400 , but the company also sells a DIY kit, including the CPU, RAM, storage, camera, battery, and even the charging port, for $320 . Both are available online, and the company also sells the camera and battery modules separately.

Zinwa plans to begin shipping the Q25 Pro to the first 100 backers at the end of August, aiming for mass production by mid-September. Those interested in the project can join their Discord channel for updates on shipping progress and other models being considered for reproduction.