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BlackBerry Starts Taking Preorders for $449 Classic, but It Won't Work on Sprint or Verizon

The device will start shipping in mid-December, but it is unclear how much backing it will get from U.S. carriers.

BlackBerry

BlackBerry has started taking preorders for the Classic, a model that merges old-style looks with the company’s latest software.

The device will sell for $449 and ship in mid-December, but the listed model works only with GSM-compatible carriers — meaning it won’t work on either Sprint or Verizon’s networks. It’s also unclear how much backing the device is getting from carriers and whether there will be other models of the phone that support more carriers.

Although it is taking preorders, BlackBerry still hasn’t revealed all the details on the device, which it says it will do on Dec. 17.

While BlackBerry is hoping the Classic will help the company’s flagging device business, the company is taking steps to focus elsewhere, including a partnership to help secure Samsung devices announced earlier this week.

The company has also started a paid BBM messaging service for businesses.

This article originally appeared on Recode.net.

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