But the company was too late to the touchscreen game, and customers left in droves for Apple's iPhone, Samsung's Galaxy and other devices running on Google's Android system.
Even Microsoft has moved ahead of BlackBerry with its Windows Phones.
CEO John Chen has tried to turn the company around since joining in 2013. But even as he has pushed BlackBerry toward mobile and security software, apps and the plethora of connected devices known as the Internet of Things, BlackBerry has bled red ink, posted sharp sales declines and lost customers.