BlackBerry has announced the KEY2 and it’s all about bringing the iconic phone up to date with other 2018 smartphones. That all starts with BlackBerry’s first ever dual-rear camera. The phone also comes running the latest version of Android — Android 8.1 Oreo, and they have added a new “Speed Key” which is a dedicated button that can be used to instantly pull up the app or contact of your choice.
On the display front, the BlackBerry KEY2 sports a similar 4.5” (1620 x 1080 resolution at 434 PPI) sized display of its predecessor, but this time around it’s got an edge-to-edge look. Which brings us to the updated and refined design of the KEY2. The build quality for the KeyOne was no slouch, but the KEY2 looks to be even more elegant and durable with its new Series 7 aluminum frame for added durability. The KEY2’s soft touch back has also been outfitted with a new diamond pattern that offers a better grip.
The iconic keyboard is of course still there but the key height has been raised by 20 percent for a more accurate typing experience. The keyboard is also sporting a new matte key finish and a neat in-keyboard fingerprint sensor.
The dual lens camera features two 12MP sensors with the BlackBerry’s first ever Portrait Mode and Optical Superzoom. Other features include improved auto white balance, faster autofocus, and improved image stabilization. The cameras also come with Google Lens support.
Under the hood, the BlackBerry KEY2 is powered by a battery efficient Qualcomm 660 processor and 6GB of RAM. That processor, combined with its 3,500 mAh battery capacity promises two days of battery life — which is something extraordinary if it proves to be true. The phone also supports Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0, and comes with a feature called Smart Battery Experience that learns from your daily charging habits and recommends when to charge the device so you have enough battery life to make it through that next meeting, or event.
The BlackBerry KEY2 will retail for $649 USD. We’ll update this story with availability once we have it.
