BlackBerry is making a massive comeback as an 'uncrashable' software layer for AI and robotics

Markets BlackBerry is making a massive comeback as an 'uncrashable' software layer for AI and robotics BlackBerry's stock is surging after the company's massive earnings beat and is pivoting into becoming a critical component of the AI and robotics boom. By Aoyon Ashraf | Edited by Sheldon Reback Jun 25, 2026, 4:05 p.m. 2 min read Make preferred on Share Share this article Copy link X icon X (Twitter) LinkedIn Facebook Email Make preferred on From cellphone to AI, BlackBerry. (Thai Nguyen/Unsplash) Summary Show BlackBerry, formerly a cellphone maker, has reinvented itself into a provider of mission-critical software for the “physical AI” and robotics ecosystem. Its QNX operating system, a deterministic and safety-certified framework used by chipmakers like Nvidia and AMD in smart cars and robots, is now central to the company’s growth story. Shares of BlackBerry surged nearly 23% on Thursday after a strong earnings beat and higher guidance, as investors and analysts embraced its secure, cryptography-based infrastructure as a key AI play. Remember BlackBerry? Yes, that BlackBerry: The phone with a physical keyboard that everyone used and suddenly became obsolete after Apple introduced the iPhone. There was a crypto connection too. Well, it's making a comeback. It's making a comeback not as a mobile device, but as " mission-critical software layer in the physical AI stack" and the stock is surging. BlackBerry hasn't made a consumer mobile device in years. Instead, it has quietly transformed into a high-tech powerhouse focused entirely on the world of "Physical AI" and robotics. The secret weapon? The rock-solid software framework called QNX that acts as the "uncrashable" nervous system for autonomous machines. That means BlackBerry's software is being used by massive chipmakers such as Nvidia and AMD to build smart cars and warehouse robots. The software makes sure those machines move safely with zero lag. "As intelligent machines become increasingly autonomous and operate around people, the requirements for safety, security, reliability and real-time determinism become even more important," CEO John Giamatteo said during an earnings call. "Unlike probabilistic AI systems, QNX technology is deterministic and safety certified, which is exactly why it is so hard to replicate and why customers trust it for systems where failure is not an option." Investors are taking notice, and the stock is up nearly 23% on Thursday, after a massive earnings beat and a revised upward guidance. Meanwhile, sell-side analysts are falling over themselves to praise BlackBerry's mission-critical infrastructure for the artificial intelligence boom. One thing to note is that BlackBerry's physical devices were so popular among governments and executives because they were secure and unhackable. Their encryption relied on the same fundamental math and cryptographic principles used by modern cryptocurrency. Of course, the way the company applied that math served a different purpose entirely. Now, it has evolved to provide similar security for AI systems. While QNX isn't exactly the same system as it used before, the software still relies heavily on the same cryptography library. So now, BlackBerry, too, is part of the AI trade. 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