Phones featuring the BlackBerry name will be manufactured by China's TCL, the company has revealed. BlackBerry already partnered with the hardware maker, which is known for the Alcatel brand, on its DTEK50 and DTEK60 smartphones. BlackBerry reportedly worked with TCL on the design of those devices.

This deal includes BlackBerry providing customer support, software, and security features, while TCL will build and distribute handsets around the globe.

BlackBerry will maintain its connection to the hardware side of the phone market with this deal, but it'll be less involved in the industry.