The World’s Smartphone King Fell — Now It’s Back and Has Changed Completely
Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia — BlackBerry chief executive John Giamatteo sees artificial intelligence (AI)-powered robots as a major new growth engine for the former smartphone king. Once one of the world’s largest mobile phone makers, the Canadian company has now completely overhauled its business focus.
After stepping back from its position as a leading smartphone maker in the 2000s, BlackBerry shifted its focus to software and business-to-business services. Its QNX operating system underpins features ranging from braking systems to semi-autonomous steering.
The operating system is now embedded in more than 275 million vehicles worldwide. Looking beyond the automotive industry, BlackBerry is moving into the fast-growing physical AI market.
“Although the products we sell today are no longer in the palm of your hand, they are everywhere around you,” Giamatteo said in an interview with Jim Cramer on CNBC International, according to a report on Tuesday (27 October 2026).
“275 million cars, robots, government institutions, medical instruments and supply chains. That is the new BlackBerry, and that is what is driving our growth,” he said.
Giamatteo said robotics had become one of the fastest-growing business lines in the QNX ecosystem. Unlike generative AI, which processes text and images, physical AI enables robots and machines to interact directly with the real world.
Building on its track record in the automotive industry, BlackBerry is targeting opportunities as a provider of foundational software designed to make these machines operate safely and reliably.
The opportunity is directly reflected in QNX’s royalty backlog, which has reached US$1.2 billion (Rp21 trillion), an increase of more than US$250 million in just two quarters.
Giamatteo identified three main drivers of this performance: automakers’ transition to advanced computing systems, an expanded software portfolio, and strong demand for physical AI applications.
Shares surge 142%
Investors have responded positively to the transformation. BlackBerry shares have risen 142% so far in 2026, reversing a negative trend after years of pressure.
BlackBerry’s phones with physical keyboards once dominated the global smartphone market before being displaced by Apple’s iPhone and other touchscreen devices.
When the company was still known as Research in Motion (RIM), its market capitalisation reached an all-time high of nearly US$85 billion in 2008. BlackBerry’s market capitalisation currently stands at about US$5.4 billion.
Giamatteo also highlighted BlackBerry’s strategic partnership with chip giant Nvidia, which began in the automotive sector. Nvidia has now formally selected QNX as the standard platform for its Halos Safety Stack.
“This partnership opens up so many exciting new opportunities, from automated mobile robots (AMRs) and autonomous forklifts to automated pallet-moving equipment in docking areas,” Giamatteo said.