No 5G BlackBerry Planned as TCL Says 5G Is More Appropriate for Refrigerators

5G is the next big thing in mobile, and device manufacturers worldwide are already in a rush to add such capabilities to these new models.

TCL, the parent company of BlackBerry Mobile, on the other hand, doesn’t see 5G as such a substantial technology innovation, revealing recently that it has no plans to launch a BlackBerry phone with support for 5G speeds.

The reason is as simple as it could be, TCL’s general manager of marketing, Stefan Streit, says. BlackBerry phones are already very fast and 5G is more appropriate for other devices, such as refrigerators.

“I don’t see the point of 5G on a BlackBerry,” he was quoted as saying by Pocket-lint. “It’s not an entertainment device and you can already get your email really fast. We can have a lot of fun with 5G and where to apply it – maybe in an 8K TV or a fridge.”

5G iPhone on its way already

On the other hand, TCL does want 5G to be part of its mobile offering, only that not in the BlackBerry brand. A TCL device with 5G capabilities, possibly wearing the Alcatel logo, could launch some time in 2020.

“We will launch an affordable (below $600-500) phone by the middle of next year,” the company official said.

Unfortunately, TCL not showing a great interest in 5G could mean BlackBerry phones might be late to the party once again. Not only that BlackBerry has pretty much been MIA throughout 2019 in terms of product launches, but not adopting 5G could make it one of the few brands to stick with 4G speeds.

Meanwhile, Samsung has already released 5G versions of the Galaxy S10 and Note10, its two flagship products, while Apple is expected to release a 5G-capable iPhone next year, powered by a Qualcomm chip.