TCL-owned BlackBerry has launched the all new BlackBerry Key2 smartphone through an unveil event in New York. It has arrived as a successor for the BlackBerry KEYOne phone that was made official in the previous year. The new comes sports the same form factor as the predecessor KEYOne but comes with dual rear cameras and improved processor.
BlackBerry Key2 Specifications and Features
The BlackBerry Key2 features a rubberized rear with diamond patter finish for better grip and it is flanked with the strong 7000-series aluminum frame. It features a 4.5-inch IPS LCD screen that produces FHD+ resolution of 1080 x 2160 pixels along with an aspect ratio of 3:2.
The Snapdragon 660 and 6 GB of RAM are present under the hood of the phone. The handset comes in two storage options such as 64 GB and 128 GB. It also includes a dedicated slot for adding a microSD card.
Like the KEYOne, it features a QWERTY keyboard that comes with an enhanced fret design and larger keys to offer comfortable typing experience. Here is a short clip that shows the intelligent keyboard of BlackBerry Key2 in action:
The company has included a customizable Speed key on the phone. It can be used to launch apps, carry out specific functions or for calling favorite contacts. Instead of the glossy appeal, the QWERTY keys have a matte appeal. The fingerprint scanner is embedded under the space key. The keyboard also functions as a trackpad.
BlackBerry Key2 is the first phone from the company to feature a dual camera setup. It comprises of regular 12-megapixel primary sensor with f/1.8 aperture and a secondary telephoto lens of 12-megapixel with f/2.6 aperture.
It offers a photography called Optical Superzoom which allow Key2 users to capture better zoomed-in shots. This is done by capturing multiple shots every time the user hits the shutter button. The shot images are stitched together to produce a photo that contains very less noise. Sitting at the front is an 8-megapixel selfie camera. It uses the display of the phone to function as flash.
The handset is loaded with Android 8.1 Oreo. It comes with the company’s DTEK security feature as well as Google Lens and Google Assistant. It also comes with business-related software package, BBM messaging app and secure folder feature called Locker.
The BlackBerry Key2 has been included in the Google’s Android Enterprise Recommended program. This means that users of this phone will enjoy regular flow of security updates released by Google. The manufacturer has also promised that it will be receiving one major Android update which means it will be blessed with Android 9.0 P update.
BlackBerry Key2 Pricing and Availability
The global sale of the BlackBerry Key2 will start sometime later in this month. Even though the smartphone does not feature flagship specs, it carries an expensive price tag of $649. It can be availed in two colors like Black and Silver.
