BlackBerry isn’t quite ready to give up on the keyboard.
The company is hoping to attract consumers who aren’t satisfied with touchscreen keyboards with its latest smartphone, dubbed the Key2 LE.
It promises many of the same features as its predecessor released just three months ago, the Key2, but at a much cheaper price point of $399.
That’s a noteworthy discount from the Key2, which starts at $649.
The Key2 LE promises many of the same features as its predecessor released just three months ago, the Key2, but at a much cheaper price point of $399. The Key2 starts at $649
TCL, which bought the rights to sell devices using the BlackBerry brand in 2016, unveiled the Key2 LE Thursday at the annual IFA tech conference in Berlin.
The Key2 LE brings back BlackBerry’s iconic keyboard-style smartphone, except with a bigger screen, a thinner design and new colors, including blue, gold and red.
It’s also easier to use the keyboard this time around, as BlackBerry bumped up the size of keys by 10 percent, compared to the KeyOne released last year.
However, the Key2 LE’s discounted price tag comes at a cost.
The phone has a worse processor, less RAM, downgraded cameras and a smaller battery than the Key2.
Additionally, it’s made out of polycarbonate instead of metal, which might make it feel a bit cheaper to some consumers.
It still retains the full HD display used on the Key2, as well as the same buttons, like the Speed Key which enables users to access keyboard shortcuts.
The device, which runs on Android, also got some software upgrades.
BlackBerry is rolling out new features like advanced power management in the Key2 LE and eventually the Key2. It analyzes your smartphone habits to recommend when to charge your phone, as well as free time in your day by looking at a user’s calendar.
BlackBerry is rolling out new features like advanced power management in the Key2 LE and eventually the Key2. It analyzes your smartphone habits to recommend when to charge your phone, as well as free time in your day by looking at a user’s calendar
Another feature lets users download two versions of the same app, which could be useful if someone is running a social media account for their business and wants to keep that separate from their personal one.
BlackBerry is again highlighting security with the Key2 LE, including features like a digital ‘locker’ on the device, which lets users store files securely on their phone, so that they can’t be opened without their fingerprint.
Users can add the same restrictions to certain apps and photos.
The Key2 LE comes as TCL has struggled to break into the smartphone market as rivals Apple, Samsung, Huawei and others contain to maintain a hold.
TCL’s mobile phone and equipment shipments dipped 41% year-over-year in the first quarter, according to CNBC.
What’s more, BlackBerry comprises less than a tenth of a percent of the global handset market, Counterpoint Research said.
Still, the Key2 LE demonstrates how the company is hoping it can appeal to a wider audience by launching a cheaper phone that packs all the benefits of Android.
The Key2 LE goes on sale in September and starts at $399 for a 32 gigabyte model or $449 for a 64 gigabyte version.