Canning the Classic: BlackBerry smartphone mourned by fans, laughed at by critics

BlackBerry is getting rid ofits Classic smartphone modelan announcement that hasleft longtime fans of the Waterloo, Ont.-based company mourning and fuelled fodder for its critics.

The phone washailed for the return of theQWERTYkeyboard, and it even broughtbackits Brick Breaker game. Itwas first rolled outin December2014, which the company said is well beyond "the average lifespan for a smartphone in today's market."

• BlackBerry to phase out Classic model

"It has been an incredible workhorse device for customers, exceeding all expectations," saidRalph Pini, chief operating officer and general manager for devices, in a blog post shared on the company's site Tuesday.

A short time later, BlackBerry Classic started trending on Twitter, complete with condolences, memories and cheap shots at the strugglingcompany and its products.

The news brought out some ardent defenders of the BlackBerry brand.

Several said they felt the need to support the Canadian company, and that theywould stick with BlackBerry for as long as they could. Even actor Ben Affleckhas been seen sporting a Classic.

The keyboard came in handy.

Some of the most vocal about Tuesday's announcement were journalists, who credited the Classic's keyboard with making it easier to file stories from the road.

Among those mourning was Richard Quest, a business correspondent with CNN International, who declared the news"theend of civilization."

And yes, there were insults.

BlackBerry has become somewhat of apunchline in the world of smartphonesfor its lacklustre sales and its lack of apps bothFacebook and CBC News have ended support for the BlackBerry versions of their apps.

For almost every tweet in support of the Classic, there was a joke that the smartphonemodel was still even around.

What does the future hold?

To fill the gap,the company saidit plans to roll out two mid-range Android-powered smartphonesduring its current fiscal year.