With the increasing popularity for touch screen phones over the last decade you would be forgiven to thinking that a keyboard phone is something that belongs very much in the past.
That’s certainly not the case with the new Blackberry Key2 device.
It manages to combine the functionality you would expect from a high-end handset, all wrapped in a stunning design whilst still managing to look modern.And, if you’ve been using Blackberry devices with a physical keyboard since they were first launched in 1999, we understand that you might not want to let go of this particular style of smartphone.
If you like the touch and feeling that a physical keyboard gives you, then it’s an excellent choice.But it is really worth the upgrade cost?
Here are just some of our reasons why we believe the Blackberry Key2 is worth it, highlighting just some of the new features at play.
6 Reasons to Buy the Key2
#1: Stunning Design
#2: Improved Keyboard
#3: Faster than the KeyOne
As with any upgrade you would expect it to be faster than its predecessor and that’s certainly the case with the Key2.It’s way more responsive and comes with a 2.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 with 6GB of RAM and either 64GB or 128GB of storage.In terms of performance that should increase the battery life, offer a 30% improvement on graphics, and double the downlink speeds compared to the previous model.#4: Impressive Dual-Lens Camera
Cameras have never really been a massive concern for many Blackberry users, but the Key2 has finally caught up with the rest of the smartphone market. With this release you will benefit from Blackberry’s first dual-lens camera on the rear.The rear camera is 12MP and the front 8MP, giving it parity with many rival smartphone camera set-ups.#5: Security Features
Blackberry phones have always been high on security features, but the Key2 takes that even further with some improved software features that come with Android Oreo.
Secure Locker has also been improved.
In addition to being able to store private folders, files, and photos you can also now password-protect applications (or even via a fingerprint scan).
As you would expect, it has private browsing mode included with the Firefox Focus browser.
#6: Quick Charge Functionality
The typical Blackberry user tends to be someone frequently switching between calling, emailing, messaging and work-based apps. With most smartphones that’s going to result in a quick battery drain, but the Key2 runs off a 3,500mAh battery that should last the day with ease.Should the battery drain at an inconvenient moment you have Quick Charge 3.0 which lets you get powered up to 50% in around 35 minutes.Is the Blackberry Key2 Worth Buying?
Based on those new features, we believe that the Blackberry Key2 is an essential upgrade for those already used to and using the Blackberry brand of phones.But what about those people who haven’t used a Blackberry device before?Will it be worth buying and going through the learning curve of adapting to a physical keyboard-based handset?As with any change, there will be some adjustment required if you are used to a touch screen keyboard.However, the keys are positioned in roughly the same place so from an ergonomic perspective it won’t be massively different.In fact, there’s something strangely satisfying about using real keys versus a touch screen.From a business use angle, it has excellent connectivity and an amazing email client that will also sync up with your enterprise server.We believe that the Blackberry Key2 is the best keyboard phone currently on the market, and here are some of the features you can expect.-
Android 8.1 (Oreo) with BlackBerry Hub and productivity apps
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Physical QWERTY keyboard with integrated touchpad and fingerprint sensor
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Octa-core Snapdragon 660 processor with Adreno 512 GPU
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64GB storage and 6GB RAM
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5″ Full HD 1080 x 1620 screen with Corning Gorilla Glass
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DUAL 12MP rear cameras with PDAF & dual LED flash
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4 x 71.8 x 8.5 mm / 168 grams
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5mm audio jack
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3,500 mAh battery
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USB Type-C with QuickCharge 3.0