BlackBerry no longer produces smartphones itself, but has licensed its name to different companies around the world who are keeping the dream of physical keyboards on smartphones alive. In India, the licensee is Optiemus Infracom, and it's selling two distinct product lines now – the Evolve and Evolve X for those who want modern smartphones with big screens, and the Key2 and Key2 LE for buyers who still need a keyboard. All of them run Android with BlackBerry's security and communications software tweaks baked in. You can't quite recreate the classic BlackBerry experience, but at least you have choices if your old phone is dying and you don't want to switch to any other brand.
The new BlackBerry Key2 LE is a more affordable version of the Key2, but has weaker specifications and lacks the iconic touch-sensitive keyboard surface. It will appeal to QWERTY warriors who own classic BlackBerries and are looking for an upgrade. However, this phone still runs Android, not the BlackBerry 10 OS, and integration is a little lacking. The specifications are decidedly sub-par for the price, and the cameras are the most disappointing aspect of this phone. If you can live without a physical keyboard, there are plenty of Android alternatives that deliver better value at half the price or less.
Brand | BlackBerry |
Model | KEY2 LE |
Price in India | ₹26,999 |
Release date | August 2018 |
Launched in India | No |
Dimensions (mm) | 150.25 x 71.80 x 8.35 |
Weight (g) | 156.00 |
Battery capacity (mAh) | 3000 |
Fast charging | Quick Charge 3.0 |
Colours | Atomic, Champagne, Slate |
Screen size (inches) | 4.50 |
Touchscreen | Yes |
Resolution | 1080x1620 pixels |
Protection type | Gorilla Glass |
Aspect ratio | 3:2 |
Pixels per inch (PPI) | 434 |
Processor | 1.8GHz octa-core |
Processor make | Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 |
RAM | 4GB |
Internal storage | 64GB |
Expandable storage | Yes |
Expandable storage type | microSD |
Expandable storage up to (GB) | 256 |
Rear camera | 13-megapixel (f/2.2, 1.12-micron) + 5-megapixel (f/2.4, 1.12-micron) |
Rear autofocus | Phase detection autofocus |
Rear flash | LED |
Front camera | 8-megapixel |
Front autofocus | No |
Front flash | Yes |
Operating system | Android 8.1 |
Wi-Fi | Yes |
Wi-Fi standards supported | 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac |
GPS | Yes |
Bluetooth | Yes, v 5.00 |
NFC | Yes |
USB OTG | Yes |
USB Type-C | Yes |
Number of SIMs | 2 |
SIM 1 | |
GSM/CDMA | GSM |
3G | Yes |
4G/ LTE | Yes |
Supports 4G in India (Band 40) | Yes |
SIM 2 | |
GSM/CDMA | GSM |
3G | Yes |
4G/ LTE | Yes |
Supports 4G in India (Band 40) | Yes |
Fingerprint sensor | Yes |
Compass/ Magnetometer | Yes |
Proximity sensor | Yes |
Accelerometer | Yes |
Ambient light sensor | Yes |
Gyroscope | Yes |