In late February of 2017, BlackBerry launched its new smartphone, the BlackBerry KeyOne. It is a touchscreen-based smartphone but staying true to its roots with the physical QWERTY keyboard is the main focus. The major players in the smartphone industry consistently perfecting the versions of their virtual keyboards on their products and dominating the game. On the other hand, BlackBerry remains a classic with its distinctive overall design paired with its trademark keyboard.
Blackberry continues to solidify its decision to basically keep doing what they are doing, but better with the release of the BlackBerry KeyOne. It is a smartphone that runs on Android instead of the company's proprietary operating system (BlackBerry OS or BlackBerry 10) and is manufactured and distributed by TCL, as BlackBerry does not make hardware anymore according to TheVerge. Though very promising, the 4.5-inch display (1620x1080 res. / 3:2) is not exactly its highest selling point.
The actual centerpiece of the phone is, of course, the 35-key keyboard that is equipped with capacitive touch support and its modern operating system (OS). It acts as a trackpad that can be used for scrolling instead of using the touchscreen feature when surfing the web or managing your emails. The space bar of the BlackBerry KeyOne also functions as a fingerprint scanner for unlocking the smartphone.
Obviously, BlackBerry has kept productivity in mind when they designed the KeyOne because it has 3,505mAh battery that performs well for extended usage. The phone gets that charge boost with Qualcomm QuickCharge 3.0 for faster charging times. Also, the BlackBerry KeyOne sports a 12-megapixel front camera and an 8-megapixel rear camera. It functions well but nothing else worth noting about it according to CNBC.
The 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage with MicroSD support is just around the standard for most smartphones nowadays. While the overall design of the BlackBerry KeyOne is similar to the company's other phones, sleek and official looking with its dark color scheme. The smartphone is heavier at 180g than the latest Samsung Galaxy S8 or Apple iPhone 7.
In summary, the BlackBerry KeyOne is completely productivity focused with its modern OS. It is not really entertainment or multimedia ideal type of device rather it's for people who are work centered and need to manage their life through their phone with emails and texts. That is not to say that the BlackBerry KeyOne can't do what others can since performs all tasks brilliantly. It's just that the phone-use priority is more for a working lifestyle.
