BlackBerry is back – with a new phone. Technically, it’s TCL, since BlackBerry Inc. no longer makes devices and lets TCL handle everything.
This would be the first BlackBerry release under TCL and yes it’s got the signature keypad. The Smart Keyboard responds to touch gestures – much like its ancestors’ trackpad. Also, customisable for 52 keyboard shortcuts, e.g. “I” for Inbox. Oh and guess where the fingerprint sensor is? The spacebar.
Keyboard aside. The KEYone comes with 4.5 inch display, at 1620×1080 resolution / 434 PPI 3:2 aspect ratio. Physical build is anodized aluminium frame with Corning Gorilla Glass 4 for impact and scratch resistance. It’s a touch display, no old school scrolling here.
Now for the OS – no fruits here, just candy. Out of the box it runs Android 7.1 Nougat, so you get everything under the Android umbrella. All updates and marketplace will be Google run, no BlackBerry here. Although it does come with BlackBerry Hub – a messaging consolidation platform for emails (including multiple accounts), texts and messages from any social media account.
KEYone comes with a 12MP rear camera with a Sony IMX378 camera sensor with Phase Detect Auto Focus, and an 8MP front camera with fixed focus and 84-degree wide angle lens.
It runs on Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 mobile platform with the Qualcomm Adreno 506 GPU, and comes with Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0. Packing in a 3505 mAh battery, you get up to 50 percent charge in about 36 minutes. There’s also BlackBerry’s Boost that can turbo charge your battery when you’re in a rush. Snapdragon 625 was designed for long battery life, more efficient battery usage and fast LTE speeds for super-fast file sharing.
For extra safety, KEYone comes pre-loaded with DTEK by BlackBerry, giving constant security monitoring and protection of your OS and apps by alreting when there’s a potential privacy risk and what to do. This BlackBerry security application monitors your other apps, alerting you if one is accessing your camera to take a picture or video, turning your microphone on, sending a text message, or accessing your contacts or location.
“The BlackBerry KEYone reimagines how we communicate by offering unmatched productivity and the world’s most secure Android smartphone experience,” said Nicolas Zibell, CEO for TCL Communication.
Alex Thurber, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Mobility Solutions for BlackBerry said, “We have worked closely with TCL to build security and the BlackBerry experience into every layer of KEYone, so the BlackBerry DNA remains very much in place.”
The BlackBerry KEYone will be available globally beginning in April and will be priced at or under €599 EUR/ £499 GBP/$549 USD. (Approx. RM 2400 – RM 2750 depending which conversion rate you use)
