Still remember a time when smartphones of all brands were rocking physical keyboards? My very first smartphone was in fact the famous Nokia E72 with an awesome keyboard. Keyboards were a thing back then...until it was eclipsed by huge displays of screen for swiping and tapping. So for those who are still in love with keyboard for your smart devices, BlackBerry has unveiled their KEY2 in Malaysia. Keyboard warriors rejoice! LOL :D
Beautifully crafted.
For starters, BlackBerry KEY2 features a powerful Snapdragon 660 octa-core processor and boats 6GB of RAM for lightning fast user experience. There will be 64GB of internal storage which is expandable via MicroSD card up to 256GB of external storage. However KEY2 supports dual SIM and a microSD card slot for storage expansion which is a hybrid setup so you will have to sacrifice one SIM if you want to use the microSD card.
While holding BlackBerry KEY2, you will be greeted by the gorgeous 4.5-inch Full HD IPS display made of impact-resistant Gorilla Glass. Though the 3:2 aspect ratio of the display is very close to a square, it is still good considering that there is a physical keyboard at your disposal. The crisp 1,620 x 1080 pixels display together with the beautifully crafted keyboard is encased by a stunning series 7 aluminium alloy frame.
What distinguishes KEY2 from other smartphones is the presence of keyboard. This latest offering by BlackBerry KEY2 sees the keyboard being taller by 20% and boasts better spacing for more accurate and comfortable typing using the keyboard. The matte finish on top of the keys ensure that you will get better tactile feeling as it will be a joy to type on something physical. The intelligent keyboard also features Speed Key that allows you to create shortcut to launch apps without needing to return to the home screen. Brilliant!
12MP Dual-camera
Though BlackBerry is big on productivity thanks to the inclusion of a physical keyboard, one can still enjoy snapping photos with the 12MP dual-camera system. The primary rear shooter sports a wide angle f/1.8 lens while the secondary camera comes with a short telephoto f/2.6 lens. This means that you can capture beautiful portrait photos even though you are using a smartphone with physical keyboard. Flip the KEY2 and you will have an 8MP selfie camera that should be sufficient.
BlackBerry KEY2 has a huge 3,500mAH battery that can last up to 2 days on a single charge which is relatively good. There is still a 3.5mm audio jack for you to enjoy your music and podcasts. Running on near-stock Android 8.1, KEY2 comes with built-in enterprise-level security and privacy system-DTEK which features Locker Private Zone App, FireFox Focus Private Browser and Private Shade just to name a few. With a price tag of RM2,599 (US$650), can BlackBerry KEY2 hold its own in a market dominated by huge, bezel-less display?
