BlackBerry Key2 Review: The keyboard is awesome, but will it sell?

BlackBerry Key2 is priced at Rs 42,990 and can be purchased exclusively from Amazon India.

A BlackBerry phone has always represented three things: a physical keyboard, long battery life and secure software. And that's exactly what you'll get in the new BlackBerry Key2. But the question is, are you going to give up your iPhone or Android flagship for Key2? That's the question I asked myself when I started using the BlackBerry Key2 as the primary phone.

Before saying more about the Key2, be aware that the newest BlackBerry device is not even manufactured by this iconic Canadian company. On the contrary, it is manufactured by Noida-based Optiemus Infracom, which has a long-term license agreement with BlackBerry. And yes, it does not run the BlackBerry software, but the latest version of Android.

While the Key2 does not have the specifications to match the likes of the Galaxy S9 +, it does have a number of unique features. Of course, the physical keyboard remains Key2's strong point, making it one of his favorite phones with the dual camera. At 42.990 rupees, the Key2 is an unconventional smartphone that will strictly meet the needs of BlackBerry fans right now, or maybe someone who can not cope with touchscreens. Here is our detailed review of BlackBerry Key2 which is now available exclusively on Amazon India.

BlackBerry Key2 Award in India: Rs 42,990

BlackBerry Key2 Reviews: Design and Aesthetics

The BlackBerry Key2 looks odd compared to other daytime smartphones. For a second, you wonder if this phone even belongs in 2018. But when you start using the Key2, you will understand why the phone was designed to emulate a clbadic BlackBerry device.

The frame is aluminum, while the back is covered with a soft rubber coating.

Key2 is similar in size to KeyOne, something you'll notice right away. Unlike its predecessor, the design of Key2 has been slightly modified. The result: the Key2 is thinner, lighter and has a more mature design. The Key2 chbadis is less curved, but the phone has sharper lines and edges. The frame is made of aluminum, while the back has a smooth rubbery plastic coating, rather than the glbad case seen on the majority of the flagships in 2018. The Key2 however lacks a strength rating to the water. [Lire la suite] : First impressions of BlackBerry Key2: The keyboard gets smarter

Review of BlackBerry Key2: Display

The Key2 sticks to a 4.5 "square shaped 1080x1620p panel. And yes, it's about the same as KeyOne's. It is clean, bright and offers decent color reproduction. This is an LCD panel, so it would be wrong to compare even with OLED-known displays to produce deep levels of black. As the size of the screen is small, I do not even recommend playing games on Key2. Watching YouTube videos on the Key2 is not a terrible experience though.

The BlackBerry Key2 display is net , bright and offers decent color reproduction.

BlackBerry Key2 review: Keyboard

If you're new to Key2, you'll need some time to get used to the physical keyboard. Since I spent my entire day writing stories or responding to emails, I got used to the physical keyboard in a day or two. The keys are 20 percent larger, which allows to have more space to type on them. Plus, the buttons are backlit, which is obviously handy when you're typing in the dark.

To change, a new key has been introduced, which BlackBerry likes to call the shortcut key. What he does, is that it allows you to program a shortcut. For example, if you set the & # 39; S & # 39; to open Saavn, press the shortcut key followed by 'S & # 39; to open the application. It is possible to define a different shortcut for each key. The idea is simple: open applications without returning to the home screen

The keys on the Key2 are 20% larger, which allows for more room for typing.

To return to the experience, it was not faster than using a touch screen display keyboard, especially longer sentences. In fact, I was able to type much faster on the Key2 keyboard than using the physical keyboard, but I like the idea of ​​using the keyboard. Integrate the fingerprint sensor of the phone into the spacebar. The keyboard also works as a trackpad, which, in my opinion, is a great way to scroll through web pages. There is no doubt that the physical keyboard is convenient, but I am not yet ready to give up a keyboard on the screen.

Blackberry Key2: Performance, Battery

Even if the BlackBerry Key2 is sold at the same price as a high-end smartphone the hardware is similar to what you would find in a mid-range smartphone. The Key2 is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 processor. Although the company has been trying to balance it by adding 6GB of RAM, a jump of 3GB on the KeyOne. Our evaluation unit comes with 64 GB of internal memory.

In my tests, the Key2 went perfectly – going from one application to another on the Web. The phone feels super fast in every day of use, and that is what I expect from each phone. The Key2 is not made to play, but I played Super Mario Run. I think the Key2 clientele would rather be interested in using the physical keyboard, rather than playing games on the device. The call quality of Key2 was impressive, as was that of the mono speaker

The DTEK app puts the emphasis on security, which tells you the security of the phone.

Software experience is another remarkable feature of Key2. Although the phone runs on Android 8.1 Oreo, the interface has been customized to meet the needs of business users. BlackBerry Hub, for example, groups all your email and messaging platforms into one inbox. The launcher has been heavily modified, which shows that the phone is designed for productivity.

The DTEK app puts the emphasis on security, which tells you the security of the phone. I've also liked a built-in pbadword keeper feature that allows you to securely back up all your pbadwords in one place.

The call quality of the Key2 was impressive, as was the single mono speaker.

The Key2's 3500 mAh battery impresses and the phone lasts a day and a half on a single charge. Let's be clear: I used the Key2 as a daily driver and not as a secondary phone for a week. Charging usually takes about 60 minutes from zero to 70 percent with the charger provided.

BlackBerry Key2 Review: Camera

The Key2 is the first BlackBerry smartphone to feature a dual camera configuration, and yes, it allows for 2x optical zoom and portrait mode. The handset has a pair of 12MP flaps, an f / 1.8 aperture for the main camera and a f / 2.6 aperture for telephoto. However, the Key2 does not have optical image stabilization.

BlackBerry Camera Example key2. (Resized Image for the Web)
BlackBerry Key2 sample of camera. (Resized Image for the Web)

Pulling out, the Key2 has achieved excellent results in terms of image quality. I consider the Key2 as the best BlackBerry smartphone from the point of view of the camera. The images I took were mostly noiseless, colorful and well balanced. Even the portrait mode works, providing sharper images with a nice blur on the background. Although I was certainly not convinced of the performance of Key2 in taking pictures in low light. The 8-megapixel front camera is nothing short of amazing.

BlackBerry Key2 camera example. (Resized Image for the Web)
BlackBerry Key2 sample of camera. (Resized Image for Web)

Overall, the Key2 camera is not as good as the OnePlus 6, but it is ahead of the only Snapper we have seen on the KeyOne.

Key2 is a solid phone and offers all the features you would like to see in a high-end BlackBerry phone. But as I said at the beginning, the Key2 address is for specific users who have owned a BlackBerry device in the past or those who prefer a phone with a physical keyboard. BlackBerry phones still command a high price, so I was not surprised to see when the Key2 was announced at Rs 42,990. If you are interested in buying a phone with a physical keyboard, BlackBerry Key2 is the only option on the market.

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