The start-up attempting to resurrect the BlackBerry name as a mobile handset player reportedly lost its licence to use the brand, killing off the prospect of its promised 5G smartphone donning the iconic logo.

Reports from US tech publicaion Android Police and a blog on BlackBerry fan website Crackberry both claim Onward Mobility’s 5G BlackBerry project has been abandoned, citing multiple sources.

The reports come a month after Onward Mobility put out an update entitled “contrary to popular belief, we are not dead” after months of radio silence.

In the post, Onward Mobility asserted it still planned to release a smartphone with a physical keyboard aimed at enterprises, while still promoting itself as being set to bring a 5G BlackBerry to market.

It vowed to provide more regular updates on its progress after experiencing “various delays that prevented us from shipping in 2021″.

Onward Mobility acquired the licence to produce BlackBerry handsets in 2020, taking over from TCL Communication, which had held it since 2016 when BlackBerry’s parent company gave-up developing its own devices.