Blackberry KEYone Now Available in the U.S.; Goes On Sale At Amazon & Best Buy
Blackberry has officially launched its KEYone smartphone and now available in the U.S. and Canadian market as well as online stores Amazon and Best Buy.
China-based smartphone maker TCL Communication launched BlackBerry KEYone under a new brand licensing agreement signed with BlackBerry in December 2016. The smartphone was officially unveiled during the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in February 2017.
The KEYone has achieved one important factor to make is successful: a hardware keyboard on a smartphone. Old BlackBerry users may feel a muscle memory kicks right in just like the old time. It is housed in a durable and sleek aluminum frame with a soft textured back for extra grip.
Blackberry KEYone is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor and runs on Android 7. The handset has 3GB of RAM and a 256GB of internal storage, which is expandable via microSD support.
It features a 4.5-inch FHD display and manufactured with scratch resistant Corning Gorilla Glass. Blackberry KEYone uses an innovative Smart Keyboard that allows making 52 customizable shortcuts and transforming each letter key for quick access to favorite apps and contacts. It comes with BlackBerry Hub, which is an app that consolidates all messages, texts, and emails into one easy-to-access folder.
The handset features 12MP rear camera using Sony IMX378 sensor. The wide aperture lens has large 1.55-micrometer pixels and dual-tone flash for superior color and clarity of photos. Blackberry KEYone’s front-facing camera is 8MP with fixed focus, LCD Flash, and 84-degree wide angle lens. It has non-removable Li-Ion 3505 mAh battery with Quick Charge3.0 technology enables up to 50 percent charge in approximately 36 minutes.
Blackberry KEYone is the first smartphone to provide the security of fingerprint sensor built directly into the keyboard space bar for additional security. The smartphone will receive the regular Android monthly security updates with preloaded with DTEK, a program that frequently monitors and protects the phone by providing alerts if a privacy breach is detected.
In Canada, Blackberry KEYone is available at $0 on contract on several mobile carriers such as Bell, Rogers, and Telus. The unlocked version will be $729.
Blackberry KEYone will also be available in the U.S. with two unlocked variants – GSM networks under AT&T and T-Mobile as well as CDMA for Verizon. An additional carrier such as Sprint is expected to start this summer.
Moreover, BlackBerry KEYone is available online via Amazon and BestBuy for USD $549.99.