WATERLOO, Ontario (AP) — BlackBerry says it will stop making its Classic smartphone, less than two years after launching it with much fanfare.

Ralph Pini, the company's chief operating officer and general manager for devices, said Tuesday that the Classic has long surpassed the average lifespan for a smartphone in today's market.

Pini says that the Waterloo, Ontario-based firm will now focus on updating its smartphone lineup.

The BlackBerry Classic hit the market in December 2014, offering customers a 3.5-inch (88.9-millimeter) screen, which was 60 percent larger than the previous BlackBerry Bold 9900, longer battery life and a standard keyboard and touch screen.

BlackBerry has faced calls to stop making cellphones in favor of focusing on its burgeoning software business, but CEO John Chen recently reaffirmed his commitment to stay in the hardware market.