BlackBerry launching its new phone, KeyOne with QWERTY Keyboard
The Blackberry KeyOne has anxiously been awaited by all the fans of Blackberry. Once Blackberry was ruling the Indian market, but due to its incompetence, it soon got lost in the market. Iphone took over its market, and now Blackberry is returning with its Android Phone- Key ONE. The phone is expected to be released by the end of May and was launched in India at the MWC 2017. Here is a quick review for the Blackberry KeyOne.
Design:
Currently, the only option available in the category of an Android phone with a keyboard is Blackberry KeyOne. The keyboard is believed to be pretty good, and the keys are clicky enough. Keys can also be set as a shortcut for various apps and contacts. The phone even suggests apps or contacts to pair to, such as “I” for “Instagram,” “Y” for “Yelp” and “M” for “Mom.”Blackberry has also slapped a fingerprint sensor in the spacebar, a smart design quirk.
The small screen is a setback in the phone. The 4.5 inches screen is not good for playing games and can be felt cramped.
Battery:
KeyOne has a huge battery life, 3505mAh battery. The phone can be heavily used for almost two days with the modest hardware and smaller screen size. It has a type-c charging port and also has a fast charging facility.
Camera:
KeyOne has a 12 MegaPixel rear camera, which has an automatic mode that’s got plenty of filters, but not a truck-loaded as you see on other devices. It will be just perfect for you if you take photos in automatic mode.There’s a pro mode you can turn on in the camera settings, which gives you much finer control over white balance, ISO and all the rest.
An 8-megapixel front-facing camera takes straightforward selfies. You can apply the usual filters. The front snapper is powered by an Exmor-RS CMOS Sensor.
Processor: 
Blackberry is launching this phone with Android 7.1.1, which Samsung and LG can’t be bothered to do (those phones have 7.0 only). Blackberry is not messing with clunky custom UI layers. There are a lot BB apps present in the phone and services like the HUB, Password Keeper. Blackberry also promises tight security and frequent updates.
The phone is supported with Snapdragon 625 ARM chip and has 3GB of RAM. The device is powered by an Octa core, 2 GHz, Cortex A53 processor.
Price:
BlackBerry still seems to be counting on its old name to carry some weight here. KeyOne is expected to be priced in India at Rs.38,500. That’s only a fraction less than the Google Pixel, which is faster and is a more established brand, currently. You have to pay a premium for that keyboard, and that’s going to drive away some people who were on the fence about going back to a physical QWERTY phone.
My Review:
If you don’t need a keyboard, the KeyOne doesn’t make any sense. KeyOne is a slow phone as compared to the new Google Pixel or Galaxy S8. Apps can run slow on the phone, whereas multitasking is fine. At 180 grams, the KeyOne is heavier than the Galaxy S8, iPhone 7 and Google Pixel, but it’s a bit lighter than the iPhone 7 Plus.
If you want a phone with a keyboard, then only Blackberry KeyOne is a good buy. Otherwise, there are other products available in the market, available for the same price with better features.
