BlackBerry KEYone First Look

By Gadgets 360 Staff | Updated: 2 March 2017 14:46 IST

Highlights

The BlackBerry KEYone is priced at $549
QWERTY keypad comes with smart features
The 12-megapixel rear camera is similar to the Google Pixel

The MWC 2017 was in a way a swan song for BlackBerry, which launched the BlackBerry KEYone - the "last phone designed and engineered in-house by BlackBerry". The device keeps the BlackBerry's iconic QWERTY keypad, among other things. We take a quick look at the smartphone, which becomes available beginning April 2017, and tell you all need to know in the video below.

The BlackBerry KEYone features a touchscreen display and keyboard and is priced at at $549 (roughly Rs. 38,600) in the US, GBP 499 (roughly Rs. 41,400) in the UK, and EUR 599 (roughly Rs. 42,100) in Europe. The device runs Android 7.1 Nougat software and includes BlackBerry's security software and optimisations like BlackBerry Hub and DTEK security monitoring app.

The handset is designed with an aluminium frame for a sturdy, durable feel and Corning Gorilla Glass 4 on top. The dimpled back panel should provide a better grip and feel while holding the device. The smart keypad features capacitive touch that lets you easily scroll through the display. The BlackBerry KEYone spacebar also houses a finger sensor while the capacitive navigation buttons are placed just above the keyboard. Shortcuts can also be assigned to keys to open up apps quickly.

The Android-powered BlackBerry KEYone sports a 4.5-inch full-HD (1080x1920 pixels) IPS display with a pixel density of 433ppi and a 3:2 aspect ratio. The device is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 octa-core SoC clocked at 2GHz, coupled with 3GB of RAM and an Adreno 506 GPU. The handset is fitted with a 3505mAh battery with fast-charging support.

The camera on the BlackBerry KEYone is touted to be at par with the Google Pixel, sporting a 12-megapixel rear camera with Sony IMX378 sensor and 1.55-micron pixels, all of which are found in the Pixel. The front bears an 8-megapixel camera with a wide-angle lens and a flash module.

While the BlackBerry KEYone is the last smartphone made by the Canadian company, there will be future BlackBerry products that will be produced by TCL.

BlackBerry KEYone

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS

Design
Display
Software
Performance
Battery Life
Camera
Value for Money

Good
Physical keyboard with shortcuts
Useful BlackBerry apps
Good battery life

Bad
Expensive
Small screen
Average performance
Landscape usage is awkward

Read detailed BlackBerry KEYone review

Display 4.50-inch

Processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 625

Front Camera 8-megapixel

Rear Camera 12-megapixel

RAM 4GB

Storage 64GB

Battery Capacity 3505mAh

OS Android 7.1

Resolution 1620x1080 pixels

More BlackBerry mobiles BlackBerry mobiles price in India

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Further reading: BlackBerry, BlackBerry KEYone, BlackBerry KEYone Price, BlackBerry KEYone Specifications, BlackBerry KEYone First Look, Mobiles, Android, MWC, MWC 2017