BlackBerry may be making a comeback.

Due to products like the Clicks keyboard case, which provides a physical QWERTY keyboard for certain iPhone, Pixel, Galaxy, and Razr models, some consumers desire smartphones with physical keyboards. Unihertz, which released the Titan 2 earlier this year through Kickstarter, had previously launched the original Titan, a clone of the BlackBerry Passport.

Zinwa Technologies announced plans to modernize old BlackBerry models by replacing the processor with a newer chipset, installing Android 13, and increasing storage. The first model to be updated is the BlackBerry Q20 (Classic), renamed the Zinwa Q25 Pro, priced at $420.

The Zinwa Q25 Pro has a MediaTek G99 SoC and 12GB of RAM, an upgrade from the original model's 2GB. It features 256GB of storage, up from 16GB, and a 3000mAh battery, improved from the BlackBerry Q20's 2515mAh battery. The phone is scheduled to be released this month.

The BlackBerry Passport is next in line for modernization. Despite its 2014 release, the Passport remains popular. Its large display and unique keyboard made it ideal for business use, allowing users to view more content from spreadsheets or X-rays.

Because of the demand for the Passport, Zinwa is offering the Passport revision as a kit called the P26, due to a shortage of available cases. A $300 kit for the BlackBerry Q20 is also available. The P26 kit is only compatible with the first-generation Passport model, not the Passport Silver Edition.

Kevin Michaluk, founder of CrackBerry and co-founder of the Clicks keyboard case, has launched a petition at BingBackBlackBerry.com. Michaluk is gauging consumer interest in reviving the BlackBerry brand with modern phones that have updated specifications and physical keyboards. Despite BlackBerry no longer making phones, Michaluk hopes to create a licensing deal or partnership to bring back BlackBerry phones if there is enough demand.

A new BlackBerry phone would face challenges, including the preference for virtual keyboards over physical ones. Also, any new BlackBerry model would need to compete with the cameras of the iPhone, Pixel, and Galaxy phones.

Despite the Clicks keyboard case's success, a new BlackBerry would need to convince consumers to use a physical keyboard. While physical keyboards were once considered better for writing long messages, many smartphone users have adapted to virtual keyboards.

The author recalls using phones with physical keyboards, such as the Motorola DROID, DROID 3, and DROID 4. The author used the Clicks keyboard for the iPhone 15 Pro Max for almost a year, but ultimately found virtual keyboards faster.

Additionally, a coffee table book titled "Iconic Phones: Revolution at Your Fingertips" will be released in a few months.