BlackBerry Key2 with dual cameras, physical keyboard launched

TCL Communication has launched the BlackBerry Key2, which features a physical keyboard and runs on Google’s Android OS. The announcement was made at an event held in New York. This a flagship smartphone designed to win back the confidence of business users. In the US, BlackBerry Key2 is priced at $649 (or approx Rs 43,565), while it is going to be priced at £579 (or approx Rs 52,221) and $829 (Rs 42,976) in the UK and Canada respectively. TCL says the BlackBerry Key2 will begin shipping globally sometime this month.
BlackBerry Key2 has a design similar to the original KeyOne, which was announced at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona last year. For a change, the back of the device has a textured back which makes it easier to hold, and the dual-cameras are arranged horizontally. The Key2 has been made out of Series 7 aluminum, which the company says will add durability. Like the KeyOne, BlackBerry Key2 has a 4.5-inch 1080×1620 display with an aspect ratio of 3:2. Additionally, the Key2 also comes with BlackBerry’s signature physical QWERTY keyboard with a built-in fingerprint scanner and a new feature called Speed Key, a customisable shortcut key for accessing apps and contacts. The keyboard also responds to touch gestures, similar to an old BlackBerry-styled keypad.
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Under the hood, BlackBerry Key2 is powered by a Snapdragon 660 chipset, which indicates a mid-level performance. The phone has been further bundled with 6GB RAM, either 64 or 128GB internal memory, and microSD support. BlackBerry Key2 is backed by a 3500mAh battery with support for Qualcomm’s QuickCharge 3.0 technology.
On a software side, it runs on Android 8.1 Oreo out-of-the-box. And there’s also the DTEK security app. ]BlackBerry Key2 ships with a dual-camera setup, each offering 12-megapixels. Plus, there’s a generous 8MP front-facing camera as well. There’s also a USB Type-C port on the bottom and a 3.5mm headphone jack on the top.
BlackBerry was once the world’s top-ranked smartphone player, but it lost to Apple and Samsung. The Toronto-based BlackBerry has stopped making smartphones, and instead focuses on software. In late 2016, China’s TCL Communications signed a deal with BlackBerry to use the company’s brand new for all upcoming smartphone. BlackBerry has a similar licensing deal with Optiemus, the Noida-based smartphone vendor.