Tag: blackberry keyone

BlackBerry KEY2 To Launch In India Soon As KEYone Receives A Price Cut

BlackBerry, the once colossal mobile maker has found it difficult in the past few years. The company has stuck to its guns in certain aspects and is slowly carving out a niche audience for its Android-powered smartphones. The latest in its portfolio is the BlackBerry KEY2 which was launched on June 7th. It now appears that the device could soon launch in India as the BlackBerry KEYone received a price cut.

Launched in India in August 2017 at a price of Rs 39999, the KEYone was a unique offering. The smartphone is now retailing for Rs 33975 after receiving a price cut of Rs 6024. This usually hints at the launch of a successor and considering the KEY2 was recently launched, it’s not that big a leap. The company has stuck to a similar design and should attract users who crave a physical keyboard.

KEY2

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The BlackBerry KEY2 is priced at US$ 649 (Rs 43700 approx.) for the base model. This suggests that the smartphone could launch in India at the same price as the KEYone. At Rs 39999, users in India will have an option to buy the OnePlus 6 (8GB RAM model) while the KEY2 runs on the Snapdragon 660 chipset.

The BlackBerry KEY2 has a 4.5 inch IPS LCD display with a 1620 x 1080 px resolution. The 3:2 aspect ratio is mainly because the smartphone will have a physical keyboard making it a large device to hold. The bezels aren’t very thin either and it retains the three touch capacitive buttons from the KEYone.

The SoC is coupled with 6GB of RAM and either 64GB or 128GB of onboard storage. The storage is expandable up to 256GB using a microSD card. The fingerprint sensor is housed inside the space bar just like its predecessor. Powering the smartphone is a 3500 mAh battery with support for Qualcomm QuickCharge 3.0. The headphone jack is present as well, which has become a rare sight in 2018.

The dual-camera setup on the back consists of a 12MP primary sensor with an f/1.8 aperture. The secondary sensor is a 12MP sensor with an f/2.6 aperture. The smartphone has an 8MP front-facing camera with the display acting as a flash for low-light selfies. The dual camera at the back can record 4K videos at 30fps while the front camera will record 1080P videos.

There is no official confirmation about the launch of the BlackBerry KEY2 in India as of now. However, with a significant price cut to the KEYone, we expect the new device to launch in India soon.

June 12, 2018
BlackBerry KEY2 Design, Specifications Leaked Ahead Of June 7th Launch

BlackBerry KEY2 will be the next Android smartphone by the Canadian smartphone maker. The company’s BlackBerry KEYone had a nice design and the physical keyboard was appreciated by many. However, its price in India was steep and devices like the OnePlus 5T offered more value for money. With the KEY2, BlackBerry would want to rectify that shortcoming and launch the KEY2 at a much more affordable price than its predecessor.

Evan Blass, one of the most trusted smartphone leakers on Twitter has released a few images revealing the design of the BlackBerry KEY2. Apart from that, he recently tweeted an image of the specs sheet of the KEY2, leaving nothing to the imagination of the consumer. He also claims that the KEY2 will retail at a starting price of US$ 649 (Rs 43000 approx.). If true, the KEY2 might not be all that different in terms of pricing from its predecessor.

The BlackBerry KEY2 has 4.5 inch IPS LCD display with a 1620 x 1080 px resolution. The 3:2 aspect ratio is mainly because the smartphone will have a physical keyboard making it a large device to hold. The bezels aren’t very thin either and it retains the three touch capacitive buttons from the KEYone.

Under the hood, the smartphone will run on the Snapdragon 660 chipset. The SoC will be coupled with 6GB of RAM and either 64GB or 128GB of onboard storage. The storage will be expandable up to 256GB using a microSD card. The fingerprint sensor is housed inside the space bar just like its predecessor. Powering the smartphone will be a 3500 mAh battery with support for Qualcomm QuickCharge 3.0. The headphone jack will be present as well, which has become a rare sight in 2018.

The dual-camera setup on the back consists of a 12MP primary sensor with an f/1.8 aperture. The secondary sensor is a 12MP sensor with an f/2.6 aperture. The smartphone has an 8MP front-facing camera with the display acting as a flash for low-light selfies. The dual camera at the back can record 4K videos at 30fps while the front camera will record 1080P videos.

The BlackBerry KEY2 is scheduled to launch on June 7th. However, there is barely anything left to be unveiled for the Canadian smartphone maker. One thing that the company will be able to shed light upon is that BlackBerry key next to the spacebar. It’ll be interesting to see what BlackBerry has in store for a hardware button with the company’s logo on it. Could it trigger Google Assistant? Possibly. We will keep you updated with all the information from the launch event.

June 6, 2018
BlackBerry KEY2 Teaser Video Reveals A Dual Camera Setup

BlackBerry has confirmed that its new Android device, the BlackBerry KEY2 will launch on June 7th. The company took to Twitter to release a small teaser clip of the KEY2 revealing the design and some key aspects of the soon to be launched smartphone. Just like the KEYone, the new KEY2 will also feature a full-fledged physical keyboard. The bezels also appear to be similar to the ones found on the KEYone.

One of the biggest upgrades with BlackBerry KEY2 will be in the camera department. In the video, it is clearly visible that the smartphone from BlackBerry will feature a dual-camera setup on the rear. The back of the device also has a different finish. It doesn’t look like a regular metallic or glass back. Instead, it will have some sort of texture to it, similar to the KEYone. It’ll be interesting to see if BlackBerry goes the OnePlus route and manages to have that sort of finish underneath the glass, sans OnePlus 6 Avengers Infinity War Edition.

Back in November 2017, the possible specifications of the KEY2 were leaked on Geekbench. According to the listing, the BlackBerry KEYone successor will run Android 8.0 Oreo out of the box. This won’t be stock Android as BlackBerry is known for its security features and the KEY2 will also have those features. The device will run on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 chipset coupled with 6GB of RAM.

Similar to the KEYone, the fingerprint sensor will be housed inside the space bar. The video also teases a mysterious “BlackBerry” button that lights up at the very end of the video. The functionality of the button is unknown as of now but, seeing how much smartphone makers love AI, it might just be a Google Assistant button for all we know. All of these mysteries will be unravelled at the launch event in New York.

May 25, 2018
BlackBerry KEY2 To Launch On June 7th

BlackBerry, once one of the most famous phone makers in the world has endured rough few years since the emergence of Android and iOS. The company tried competing with the behemoths using its own BlackBerryOS but, faltered. The company then adopted Android OS and gave it its own to launch smartphones like the BlackBerry KEYone. The Canadian smartphone maker will launch a follow-up to its famous Android device, the BlackBerry KEY2 on June 7th.

?2? ? pic.twitter.com/t4ZF9yGfhH

— BlackBerry Mobile (@BBMobile) May 11, 2018

The company took to Twitter to announce the launch event. The launch event will take place on June 7th in New York at 10 am local time. The company has not disclosed any other details about the smartphone except for the name. The image does hint at the texture of the back panel of the device. Similar to the KEYone, the KEY2 could also have a textured back panel which certainly looks and feels different from most smartphones on the market right now.

Back in November 2017, the possible specifications of the KEY2 were leaked on Geekbench. According to the listing, the BlackBerry KEYone successor will run Android 8.0 Oreo out of the box. This won’t be stock Android as BlackBerry is known for its security features and the KEY2 will also have those features. The device will run on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 chipset coupled with 6GB of RAM.

BlackBerry KEYone

The BlackBerry KEYone had a very interesting keyboard. The KEY2 will also stand out in the sea of thin bezels and tall smartphones with its full-size keyboard. It will be interesting to see if the company decides to reduce the bezels and go for a modern design with thin bezels and then also have a slider keyboard. That would make the KEY2 a very bright prospect for people who like a physical keyboard but don’t want an archaic looking smartphone.

May 12, 2018
Android Enterprise Recommended Smartphones Explained
Recently, smartphone makers have started to promote their devices with a new terminology. Companies like Nokia and Motorola use the term, Android Enterprise Recommended. This new moniker holds a lot of significance. But, should you care? And is it relevant to the Indian market? Let’s find out!

The Definition

Android Enterprise Recommended is a new certification given by Google for the Android-powered smartphones. Subsequently, the devices have to meet the elevated enterprise requirements validated by Google. Interestingly, this is applicable even for non-stock OS running smartphones.

LG V30+

Minimum requirements to enrol under Android Enterprise Recommended?

The device should be running on Android Nougat 7 or the newest version of Android OS. The device should have at least 2GB RAM and 32GB onboard storage. The smartphone should be powered by a chipset with at least 1.4 GHz clock speed with 64-bit architecture.

Google has also mentioned the camera requirements to get this certification. The device should have a 2MP+ front-facing camera and a 10MP+ primary camera.

The OEMs can enrol the devices using QR Code or Zero-touch enrollment. However, to make Zero-touch enrollment the device has to be running on Android 8 Oreo or the latest OS. The devices should receive the security update within 90 days of its release. Similarly, the phone should also receive one letter OS upgrade.

BlackBerry KEYone

Android Enterprise Recommended Devices in India
- Google Pixel and Pixel XL, Pixel 2, and Pixel 2 XL
- BlackBerry KEYone
- LG G6, V30
- Moto X4, Z2 Force
- Nokia 8
- Sony Xperia XA2, XA2 Ultra, XZ Premium, XZ1, and XZ1 Compact
March 14, 2018
BlackBerry To Launch Three Android Devices At MWC 2018

BlackBerry is all set to launch three new smartphones in the coming days. According to a recent leak, these phones come with code name Athena, Luna, and Uni. After years of dominating the smartphone market along with Nokia, BlackBerry has gone off the rails. WIth another set of Android devices, the company would want to establish a strong foothold.

In the last couple of years, the company has launched smartphones like the BlackBerry Priv, BlackBerry KeyOne, and BlackBerry Passport. Now, the company is all set to refresh this lineup with these newer offerings. These devices are expected to be officially launched at the upcoming MWC 2018 in Barcelona.

WIPO has published a new patent from BlackBerry Limited for a smartphone with a sliding mechanism. In fact, the sketch resembles the BlackBerry Priv, which was launched in 2015. Back in the October 2017, a report claimed that the company is working on a new smartphone, is this one in the question?

The only difference between these models is the placement of the camera. The camera will be hidden until the slide is open. The back-case offers a camera lens, which might offer features like a wide-angle lens, fish-eye vision, a zoom lens or a macro lens.

Registered Patent for upcoming BlackBerry smartphone

Specifications of BlackBerry Uni, Luna, and, Athen:

As of now, we just have the specifications of the BlackBerry Uni. It is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 Octa-core processor with 6 GB or 8 GB RAM and 64 GB storage. The screen resolution of Uni (1620 x 1080) hints that the phone might resemble the BlackBerry KeyOne. This confuses a bit, as it has a mechanism like Priv, but a screen resolution of KeyOne? Considering that these devices will be launched in 2018, BlackBerry might go for a bezel-less design, which might be the reason for this different screen resolution.

Presently, the specifications of the other two models are still unclear. As the MWC approaches, we will have a clear idea about all three devices.

Conclusion:

At least on paper, these smartphones look promising. BlackBerry should make sure that these devices run on latest Android OS with a competitive price tag at the time of launch.

February 17, 2018
BlackBerry KEYone Successor Spotted On GeekBench

BlackBerry has been the flag bearer of sorts when it comes to Android phones with a physical keyboard. In early 2017, BlackBerry launched the KEYone with a physical keyboard and mid-range specifications. It looks like a successor to the KEYone is on the cards for the Canadian company.

The name of the device in question is “QUALCOMM BBF100-1”. As a reference, the BlackBerry Motion model number is BBD-100-X while the BlackBerry KEYone has the model number BBB100-X where X is a number depending on the region. According to the listing, the alleged BlackBerry KEYone successor will run Android 8.0 Oreo out of the box will be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 chipset. Another interesting aspect here is that the smartphone will have 6GB of RAM which is usually associated with flagship smartphones.

BlackBerry KEYone

The BlackBerry “KEYtwo” will have a QWERTY keyboard and it will be interesting how BlackBerry and TCL integrate the keyboard with a full-fledged touchscreen like the KEYone.

November 22, 2017
BlackBerry KEYone Limited Edition Black Launched In India For Rs 39,990
BlackBerry has launched its 2017 flagship device the Limited Edition BlackBerry KEYone Black in India at a price of Rs. 39990.

The main feature of BlackBerry KEYone is the back-lit touch enabled physical keyboard which is reminiscent of the old BlackBerry but with new-age functions and capabilities. The KEYone runs on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 chipset and 4GB RAM. The BlackBerry KEYone Limited Edition Black has 64GB of internal storage, as opposed to the original Keyone which had only 32GB, the storage can be expanded up to 2TB (when supported) via a microSD card. As opposed to the Keyone manufactured by TCL this model has dual sim capabilities and has been made by by Optiemus Infracom.

The main camera is a 12 MP sensor with a 1.55 micron pixel size and an F/2.0 aperture,PDAF along with electronic image stabilisation and 4K video recording at 30fps. On the front is an 8MP front facing camera with 1080p video capture and an f/2.2 aperture. The KEYone Limited Edition Black also supports quick 3.0 charging through the USB Type-C port to its inbuilt 3505 mAh Battery.

The BlackBerry KEYone has a convenience key which can be programmed to launch a specific app that you use the most to make it easily accessible. The KEYone has an anodised black metal frame in the front and a soft textured back to make it a little grippy.

The BlackBerry KEYone focusses on making typing easy, but the physical keyboard has more functionalities than just typing. Every physical key can be programmed to launch a specific app/action. Since the keyboard is touch enabled, you can scroll through web pages by swiping on the keyboard itself instead reaching the screen which can be cumbersome because of the size of the phone. The fingerprint sensor is housed in the space bar. Some key specifications of the BlackBerry KEYone are-

What you will find inside the BlackBerry KEYone Limited Edition Black’s box-
- BlackBerry KEYone Limited Edition Black
- SIM ejector tool
- Documentation
- In-ear type earphones with additional ear tips
- USB Type C cable
- Power adapter with Quick Charge 3.0
The BlackBerry KEYone is priced at Rs 39,990 and will be available on Amazon exclusively. You can pre-order the BlackBerry KEYone Limited Edition Black from today and it will go on sale on 8th August.
August 1, 2017