IT’S GOOD NEWS for fans of the physical keyboard, as the BlackBerry Key2 is now available in Blighty. The handset, which comes packing…
IT’S GOOD NEWS for fans of the physical keyboard, as the BlackBerry Key2 is now available in Blighty.
The handset, which comes packing a physical QWERTY keyboard alongside its 4.5in touchscreen, is available to pick up now at middle-class retailer Selfridges for £579 SIM-free.
It’ll also be available at a number other retailers, including Unlocked Mobiles, BuyItDirect, Mobile Phones Direct, and Clove Technologies and Carphone Warehouse from 29 June.
If you can bear the thought of using the Key2 for two years, Carphone Warehouse is offering the handsets on contracts with EE, O2 and Vodafone. Pricing starts at £29 per month with a £38 upfront cost, a deal that’ll bag you a hefty 25GB monthly data.
Vodafone will start offering the BlackBerry Key2 directly from July, TCL tells us, although it doesn’t look like any other UK operators have leapt at the opportunity.
The BlackBerry Key2, unveiled earlier this month, is TCL Communications’ latest handset to rock the iconic BlackBerry keyboard. The QWERTY keyboard, which the firm claims feature a « brand new » design with squarer, more spacious keys, comes with an integrated fingerprint scanner and features a new ‘Speed Key’ for quick access to the most-used apps and functions on the device.
Further improving on its BlackBerry KeyOne predecessor, TCL has equipped the Key2 with a flagship-worthy dual camera setup, comprising a 12MP f/1.8 main lens and a 12MP secondary lens with f/2.6 aperture. This dual camera system offers the usual portrait depth mode as well as the ability to enable 2x optical zoom without losing any detail.
The BlackBerry Key2, which boasts a rugged Series 7 aluminium frame and a new diamond-patterned textured rear, also boasts a 4.5in 1080×1620 display, a 3,500mAh battery with support for Quick Charge 3.0,64GB or 128GB built-in storage, a 3.5mm headphone jack and Android 8.1 Oreo.
Naturally, BlackBerry’s usual suite of software enhancements – including BlackBerry Hub, DTEK and BBM – all come pre-loaded on top of Google’s OS. There are some new software features too, including a new intelligent battery feature that learns how you use your device, and a ‘private locker’ function that will let you lock individual apps behind a fingerprint or password.
BlackBerry boasts that the Key2 has also been quickly approved under Google’s biz-focused Android Enterprise Recommended programme . µ
