TCL unveiled its new BlackBerry-branded Android handset, and we got some hands-on time at the launch event. The high-end handset has a physical QWERTY keyboard, and promises “unparalleled security”.
Earlier today, TCL unveiled its new premium Android handset, the BlackBerry KEYone. It promises “unparalleled security”, thanks to its “hardened” version of Android, which includes unique protective features not available on other Android devices.
TCL also says that the handset will offer a full day of battery life – in fact, at 3,505mAh, it’s got the biggest battery of any BlackBerry phone to date. But perhaps the most notable feature is the physical QWERTY keyboard – a beloved element of BlackBerry devices for the company’s biggest fans.
At the launch event today, several execs and reps from BlackBerry and TCL told me that they were hopeful that the KEYone will finally win over those last remaining fans who have resisted the company’s switch to Android, which began with the Priv in 2015.
