Zinwa Q25 Pro brings Android to BlackBerry Classic with new hardware

A Chinese company is moving to revive a once-iconic smartphone by giving the BlackBerry Classic Q20 a modern Android makeover, reintroducing it as the Zinwa Q25 Pro. The project pairs nostalgia for a keyboard-focused era with a substantial hardware upgrade, delivering a device that keeps the original chassis’ distinctive look while swapping in contemporary components, 4G connectivity, and Google’s mobile operating system. The company has announced limited initial shipments and a plan for broader production, while also signaling the possibility of reviving other BlackBerry models if there is sufficient consumer interest.

At the core of the Zinwa Q25 Pro is a substantial internal overhaul. The device preserves the Classic’s recognizable form and a capacitive trackpad, but it now runs on a new main board powered by a MediaTek Helio G99 processor. It ships with 12GB of RAM and up to 256GB of onboard storage, and a 3,000 mAh battery replaces the older model’s power capacity. The revamped phone includes 4G LTE, NFC for mobile payments, and USB Type-C for charging and data transfer, while maintaining the physical keyboard-centric aesthetic. The camera system has been upgraded to a...