BlackBerry Is Making a Comeback, But Dressed in Android

A new startup is reviving the nostalgic keyboard phone with sleek specs and modern tech

Fez – It’s 2025, and yes, BlackBerry is back. Not the security-obsessed, email warrior we knew from a decade ago, but something a little sleeker, a little smarter, and a whole lot more Android.

If you were once hooked on the BlackBerry Passport, obsessed with its sharp-edged square screen and glorious physical keyboard, then you’re in for a wave of tech nostalgia.

After all, that unique little device was the tech equivalent of a statement shoe, slightly strange, but undeniably iconic.

And now, it’s being reborn. Not by BlackBerry itself, but by a Chinese startup called Zinwa Technologies, which is taking the retro dream and giving it a 2025 glow-up.

The revival begins with the BlackBerry Classic (a.k.a. Q20), reintroduced under the name “Zinwa Q25”.

It keeps that unmistakable BlackBerry shape, but don’t let the vintage look fool you; this thing is packing heat.

We’re talking a MediaTek Helio99 processor, a generous 12 GB of RAM, 256 GB of storage, and a 50-megapixel rear camera.

It runs Android 13 and supports global 4G networks. Yes, you read that right. The suit may be old-school, but the engine is pure new gen.

If you’re still hoarding your original BlackBerry Classic in a drawer somewhere, Zinwa has something for you too: a $300 hardware conversion kit to upgrade the old body with modern specs. And for those entering fresh, the phone will launch at $400.

What else do you get? All the little things that BlackBerry fans missed: NFC for payments, a microSD slot for expandable storage, a headphone jack (because wireless isn’t for everyone), and a USB-C port because this isn’t 2011.

The Q25 is expected to start shipping in August, but that’s not where the story ends. Zinwa has bigger plans: updated versions of the beloved Passport and KEYone are reportedly in development. The goal? To breathe new life into a brand once synonymous with business-class productivity and no-nonsense security.

Of course, this isn’t BlackBerry as we knew it. It’s a tribute, an evolution, a tech-era time machine with a faster processor. Whether this reboot finds a lasting place in today’s market is still up for debate. But one thing’s certain, BlackBerry’s legacy refuses to go quietly.

And for anyone who still dreams of clicky keys and phones that weren’t just glass slabs, it might just be time to charge up your nostalgia.