I would love to try one out. My phone use is 75% email and 25% sms/slack/twitter. I don't watch movies or play games on my phone and I'm very curious how much better I could type on a keyboard.
With that said I believe the current Key2 doesn't work on Verizon so it's a non-starter for me. I'm unclear from the article if it will be available as CDMA on Verizon.
Swiping doesnt work in a technical field unless you've trained the dictionary for all the jargon. Plus, there's a reason we don't use swype on a desktop or notebook, right?
I’m also pretty sure that you’re all swiped out after 15 minutes, half an hour max, while someone with a physical keyboard can keep typing for hours if necessary.
I loved my q10 but the hardware keyboard exacerbated my carpal tunnel. swiping can happen forever, even beyond general virtual keypresses. it's the fastest, more comfortable way to type in my experience.
I used Blackberry a lot during 2G days for work. The strength of the hardware keyboard is not necessarily the speed but the comfort, and just as important accuracy. It's one thing to drop a few words to friends and family but it's very different with business exchanges.
A keyboard is hands down the fastest and most comfortable way to write anything extensive on a phone.
Every OEM uses touchscreen keyboards these days, because it’s the least worst solution for basic writing, and because most users don’t write all that much: An email or two, entering a URL or a password.
If writing is what you primarily use your phone for, then a keyboard is probably the best solution for you.
I don’t know for sure, but considering Blackberrys traditional market and formerly strong position in the US, I can’t imagine they’d make a phone that’d leave CDMA users out in the cold.
A 4.5 inch screen and a 3000 mAh battery might result in relatively good endurance. My current phone as a 4.5 inch screen and I find it to be the right size for my needs. I had a couple Blackberries, one through my employer and later one as a personal phone. The keyboards were fantastic at the time, but I feel like it'd result in unnecessary device bloat now. Blackberry needs to be different in order to stand out from the crowd, but I'm not sure a physical keyboard is really the right answer these days.
My phone only sees really heavy use when I go on the occasional gaming binge (a maybe once every 2-3 month event) or when I'm away from home and I get one of those sudden surges of creative inspiration. When the latter happens, I end up spending hours behind the phone screen working on a novel. Older model Blackberries like the 8820 and 9900 were pretty good for lengthy writing, but I wore out the keys on both of them pretty quickly by writing thousands of pages on them. On screen keyboards, now that I've grown accustomed to using them (no, I don't use swype and auto correct and prediction are disabled - just the stock keyboard app without any distractions) are more durable because of their lack of physical components. I find it nice to be able to use the space the keyboard occupies to display other content when I'm not writing so rather than having a device physically equal to a 6 inch phone, but only get a 4.5 inch screen, I can just have a smaller overall phone. I dislike traveling with a laptop or adding the bulk of a bluetooth keyboard so writing on my cell is my best option.
So mainly, it's the demands of my writing that have pushed me to favor on screen keyboards. I feel they're the best compromise if you need to enter millions of words on a phone, but want the smallest possible device to do the job.
So a physical keyboard is “bloat” and sooo last decade, in other words?
Ok... So tell me, what do you use when you’re on a laptop or computer and want to write something? Do you sit and tap a slate of glass?
No, you use a keyboard... Like most people do if they want to use an iPad comfortably for writing for more than five minutes.
I think it’s frankly bizarre that you consider a keyboard on a phone to be outdated bloat, when you use the very same thing on other devices, probably multiple times a week.
Yeah, because going with yet another slab is going to make them stand out from all the other slabs on the market. A market where at these price ranges quite a few companies are losing money on each device sold.
There's not much out there to make a smartphone distinct that will also sell well (very niche ones have more options; see the Bullitt Group's offerings). Physical keyboards are one the niches that is quite large.
Oh, and there is a keyboardless Blackberry out there, the Leap, if that's what you want. It's distinctly mediocre.
Phones are a bit like sharks. They evolved to suit the tasks they need to perform. Until the tasks change to make physical keyboards once again an advantage, deviations from the current compromise of on screen data entry are unlikely to be more than niche mutations from the mediocre majority.
Also, what companies are losing money on each device sold? Phone manufacturers would cease operations if businesses ran at a loss.
Since the better equipped version is the Key2, isn’t the naming scheme the exact OPPOSITE of what it should be? Shouldn’t this be the Key2, and the one that has better cameras and bigger battery be the Key2 LE?
Aside from the name, this looks to be a solid phone for everyone who likes a physical keyboard.
Just looking at that keyboard in fact, kinda makes me tired of tapping glass when writing, and makes me want to try it.
The fingerprint reader in the spacebar is a brilliant idea, and since Apple is still on their silly trip with Face ID, this looks like a possible next device.
The only drawback is of course (sigh...) Android. And that’s a biggie!
(Wanted to edit my first comment, but since that is an option, I wrote another more concise post.)
This looks to be a solid phone for everyone who likes a physical keyboard.
Just looking at that keyboard in fact, kinda makes me tired of tapping glass when writing, and makes me want to try it.
The fingerprint reader in the spacebar is a brilliant idea, and since Apple is still on their silly trip with Face ID, this looks like a possible next device.
The only drawback is of course (sigh...) Android. And that’s a biggie!
Am I the only one here who really likes this design, and think it’s wonderfully fresh and original after slate, after slate, after slate, year in and year out.
Phones in 2018 have gotten boooooring, as far as the design goes anyways.
They all look the same, all chasing the same autistic vision of a phone being a slab of glass.
They all use the same materials, the height of originality is copying the iPhone, and even Apple’s designs have gotten kinda meh.
And suddenly here’s the Key2 LE, looking like a timetraveller from 2016 (in the best sense of the word) reminding us, that there was a time when phones weren’t indistinguishable from each other.
Phones from here on out will be boring, because you can't advance a device further than its function. No one complains about a PC monitor because no one is looking at the sides or back when using it.
This device is just for a small niche group of people, its not something that normal everyday people will get. Even if you don't play games or movies on phone, this device still is not worth getting for the off chance you might decide to. The only people who will use it are straight up business people who can't use a device other than it for security or for company use.
Which is a load of malarkey. There are quite a few possible designs out there, and no real pinnacle. If there is a pinnacle, a glass slate is not it. It is not the best in terms of durability. It's not the most ergonomic. It's not the most versatile.
Why would it only be for a “small niche group of people” and exactly what is it that would prevent anyone from playing a game or watching a movie on it?
Looking at the specs; it would do a bang up job at both!
Depending on the game, it might even do better than many all screen phones, since there are physical buttons which most gamers prefer.
A physical keyboard isn’t some obscure feature that only business users need.
There are millions of people, who both watch movies and play games, who prefer a real, physical keyboard over a virtual one. Some are business users, and some just need it for messages and urls.
I was a BB fanboy for years, until the switch to Android. BB was secure, stable, efficient, and organized. Android does more, but it is a mess. The biggest advantage of the physical keyboard is typing accuracy. Most people can type faster with swype and word prediction, but some words are constantly mis-predicted, frequently changing after you've moved on which causes frustration with repeating mistakes while texting in real time.
The most convenient feature was missing on Android, the proper convenience key. Sure there is one, but all it does is launch some app. It cannot pause playback. This makes listening to my podcast very cumbersome. Add to that the fact that Android devices cannot tell when you remove them from the holster. So whereas I used to just reach down and press that convenience key to pause my podcast when I needed to talk to someone, now I need to pick up my phone, wake it up, open the player app, then press pause.
Lastly, if you are really concerned about security, then you shouldn't be using Android as that is developed by Google, which earns their money by selling your data to marketers.
The physical keyboard is what people see, but real BB enthusiasts know that it was much more than that. Unfortunately, it became niche. More people wanted to watch video and play Angry Birds. Most prefer a phone they can play on to one that is better for work. I cannot blame BB for this. Convenience is the antithesis of security, but most people choose convenience over security. That's just what the market bears out.
I have always preferred a hardware keyboard since I dislike the feel of having to use the soft keys from the screen. It is something I have had to get used to and for the most part am mostly fine with it now. I would like to try one of these to see if going back to a hardware keyboard is worth the smaller screen you get from a device like this.
So how is BlackBerry doing as a company these days? Are they stable, or still just circling the drain? It doesn't much matter how interesting the phone is if they're still bleeding cash.
They’ve mostly stopped developing new phones though, as I recall they hired some OEM/contract manufacturer to make most of their phones for them and build them.
Even after 5 years of touch only phones, i still detest typing out mails and text messages on a software keypad. The experience never gets better or easier as far as i am concerned. Swiping and other fancy approaches dont work for me. Swiping is not very intuitive any way.
Will defo buy the higher end model, especially because you can use the physical keyboard as a trackpad to scroll and select text. Will be a bloody relief!
We’ve updated our terms. By continuing to use the site and/or by logging into your account, you agree to the Site’s updated Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Facebook
Twitter
RSS
35 Comments
Back to Article
vanilla_gorilla - Monday, September 17, 2018 - link
I would love to try one out. My phone use is 75% email and 25% sms/slack/twitter. I don't watch movies or play games on my phone and I'm very curious how much better I could type on a keyboard.With that said I believe the current Key2 doesn't work on Verizon so it's a non-starter for me. I'm unclear from the article if it will be available as CDMA on Verizon.
Ukyo - Monday, September 17, 2018 - link
I don't know how you feel about swiping but even on a hardware keyboard, I'm sure I can type faster by swiping than pressing buttons.Cliff34 - Monday, September 17, 2018 - link
Swiping is the way to go. I use to love keyboard phones but once I discovered swipe, I never look back.Ian Cutress - Monday, September 17, 2018 - link
Swiping doesnt work in a technical field unless you've trained the dictionary for all the jargon. Plus, there's a reason we don't use swype on a desktop or notebook, right?abrowne1993 - Tuesday, September 18, 2018 - link
You type with ten fingers on a desktop or notebook.V900 - Tuesday, September 18, 2018 - link
And that’s where you are wrong.I’m also pretty sure that you’re all swiped out after 15 minutes, half an hour max, while someone with a physical keyboard can keep typing for hours if necessary.
Manch - Tuesday, September 18, 2018 - link
I think the Ukyo would know better about how he would do than you do.echoe - Tuesday, September 18, 2018 - link
I loved my q10 but the hardware keyboard exacerbated my carpal tunnel. swiping can happen forever, even beyond general virtual keypresses. it's the fastest, more comfortable way to type in my experience.depends on you though.
wr3zzz - Monday, September 17, 2018 - link
I used Blackberry a lot during 2G days for work. The strength of the hardware keyboard is not necessarily the speed but the comfort, and just as important accuracy. It's one thing to drop a few words to friends and family but it's very different with business exchanges.V900 - Tuesday, September 18, 2018 - link
I think you’d love it.A keyboard is hands down the fastest and most comfortable way to write anything extensive on a phone.
Every OEM uses touchscreen keyboards these days, because it’s the least worst solution for basic writing, and because most users don’t write all that much: An email or two, entering a URL or a password.
If writing is what you primarily use your phone for, then a keyboard is probably the best solution for you.
V900 - Tuesday, September 18, 2018 - link
I don’t know for sure, but considering Blackberrys traditional market and formerly strong position in the US, I can’t imagine they’d make a phone that’d leave CDMA users out in the cold.PeachNCream - Monday, September 17, 2018 - link
A 4.5 inch screen and a 3000 mAh battery might result in relatively good endurance. My current phone as a 4.5 inch screen and I find it to be the right size for my needs. I had a couple Blackberries, one through my employer and later one as a personal phone. The keyboards were fantastic at the time, but I feel like it'd result in unnecessary device bloat now. Blackberry needs to be different in order to stand out from the crowd, but I'm not sure a physical keyboard is really the right answer these days.Makaveli - Monday, September 17, 2018 - link
It will have good endurance not might.My KeyOne gets me 2 days of battery life off one charge I would expect similar on the Key 2 LE even with slightly smaller battery.
And Keyone is also upgradeable to Android 8.1 Oreo as i'm running it should update the table.
I disagree PeachNCream they need to keep making Keyboard phones while offering full touch which they do.
PeachNCream - Tuesday, September 18, 2018 - link
My phone only sees really heavy use when I go on the occasional gaming binge (a maybe once every 2-3 month event) or when I'm away from home and I get one of those sudden surges of creative inspiration. When the latter happens, I end up spending hours behind the phone screen working on a novel. Older model Blackberries like the 8820 and 9900 were pretty good for lengthy writing, but I wore out the keys on both of them pretty quickly by writing thousands of pages on them. On screen keyboards, now that I've grown accustomed to using them (no, I don't use swype and auto correct and prediction are disabled - just the stock keyboard app without any distractions) are more durable because of their lack of physical components. I find it nice to be able to use the space the keyboard occupies to display other content when I'm not writing so rather than having a device physically equal to a 6 inch phone, but only get a 4.5 inch screen, I can just have a smaller overall phone. I dislike traveling with a laptop or adding the bulk of a bluetooth keyboard so writing on my cell is my best option.So mainly, it's the demands of my writing that have pushed me to favor on screen keyboards. I feel they're the best compromise if you need to enter millions of words on a phone, but want the smallest possible device to do the job.
V900 - Tuesday, September 18, 2018 - link
So a physical keyboard is “bloat” and sooo last decade, in other words?Ok... So tell me, what do you use when you’re on a laptop or computer and want to write something? Do you sit and tap a slate of glass?
No, you use a keyboard... Like most people do if they want to use an iPad comfortably for writing for more than five minutes.
I think it’s frankly bizarre that you consider a keyboard on a phone to be outdated bloat, when you use the very same thing on other devices, probably multiple times a week.
PeachNCream - Tuesday, September 18, 2018 - link
Use whatever makes you happy. I'm perfectly fine with your opinion as it was formed around a solution that you're most comfortable with using.Tams80 - Tuesday, September 18, 2018 - link
Yeah, because going with yet another slab is going to make them stand out from all the other slabs on the market. A market where at these price ranges quite a few companies are losing money on each device sold.There's not much out there to make a smartphone distinct that will also sell well (very niche ones have more options; see the Bullitt Group's offerings). Physical keyboards are one the niches that is quite large.
Oh, and there is a keyboardless Blackberry out there, the Leap, if that's what you want. It's distinctly mediocre.
PeachNCream - Tuesday, September 18, 2018 - link
Phones are a bit like sharks. They evolved to suit the tasks they need to perform. Until the tasks change to make physical keyboards once again an advantage, deviations from the current compromise of on screen data entry are unlikely to be more than niche mutations from the mediocre majority.Also, what companies are losing money on each device sold? Phone manufacturers would cease operations if businesses ran at a loss.
Fastfrenchman - Monday, September 17, 2018 - link
Will wi fi calling work on T mobile like the key 1 ?V900 - Tuesday, September 18, 2018 - link
Hold on a second...Since the better equipped version is the Key2, isn’t the naming scheme the exact OPPOSITE of what it should be? Shouldn’t this be the Key2, and the one that has better cameras and bigger battery be the Key2 LE?
Aside from the name, this looks to be a solid phone for everyone who likes a physical keyboard.
Just looking at that keyboard in fact, kinda makes me tired of tapping glass when writing, and makes me want to try it.
The fingerprint reader in the spacebar is a brilliant idea, and since Apple is still on their silly trip with Face ID, this looks like a possible next device.
The only drawback is of course (sigh...) Android. And that’s a biggie!
V900 - Tuesday, September 18, 2018 - link
(Wanted to edit my first comment, but since that is an option, I wrote another more concise post.)This looks to be a solid phone for everyone who likes a physical keyboard.
Just looking at that keyboard in fact, kinda makes me tired of tapping glass when writing, and makes me want to try it.
The fingerprint reader in the spacebar is a brilliant idea, and since Apple is still on their silly trip with Face ID, this looks like a possible next device.
The only drawback is of course (sigh...) Android. And that’s a biggie!
phoenix_rizzen - Wednesday, September 19, 2018 - link
LE probably stands for Lite Edition, not Limited Edition, in this case. So the naming is correct, if slightly non-intuitive.V900 - Tuesday, September 18, 2018 - link
Am I the only one here who really likes this design, and think it’s wonderfully fresh and original after slate, after slate, after slate, year in and year out.Phones in 2018 have gotten boooooring, as far as the design goes anyways.
They all look the same, all chasing the same autistic vision of a phone being a slab of glass.
They all use the same materials, the height of originality is copying the iPhone, and even Apple’s designs have gotten kinda meh.
And suddenly here’s the Key2 LE, looking like a timetraveller from 2016 (in the best sense of the word) reminding us, that there was a time when phones weren’t indistinguishable from each other.
Cool!
imaheadcase - Tuesday, September 18, 2018 - link
Phones from here on out will be boring, because you can't advance a device further than its function. No one complains about a PC monitor because no one is looking at the sides or back when using it.This device is just for a small niche group of people, its not something that normal everyday people will get. Even if you don't play games or movies on phone, this device still is not worth getting for the off chance you might decide to. The only people who will use it are straight up business people who can't use a device other than it for security or for company use.
imaheadcase - Tuesday, September 18, 2018 - link
To clarify its even worse for phones considering no matter how fancy it looks, %99 of users just slap a case over the top anyways.Tams80 - Tuesday, September 18, 2018 - link
Which is a load of malarkey. There are quite a few possible designs out there, and no real pinnacle. If there is a pinnacle, a glass slate is not it. It is not the best in terms of durability. It's not the most ergonomic. It's not the most versatile.imaheadcase - Tuesday, September 18, 2018 - link
To be honest a phone could come out with perfect specs and everything else..but with a plastic durable box people will buy it.V900 - Tuesday, September 18, 2018 - link
What a load of claptrap and nonsense.Why would it only be for a “small niche group of people” and exactly what is it that would prevent anyone from playing a game or watching a movie on it?
Looking at the specs; it would do a bang up job at both!
Depending on the game, it might even do better than many all screen phones, since there are physical buttons which most gamers prefer.
A physical keyboard isn’t some obscure feature that only business users need.
There are millions of people, who both watch movies and play games, who prefer a real, physical keyboard over a virtual one. Some are business users, and some just need it for messages and urls.
'nar - Tuesday, September 18, 2018 - link
I was a BB fanboy for years, until the switch to Android. BB was secure, stable, efficient, and organized. Android does more, but it is a mess. The biggest advantage of the physical keyboard is typing accuracy. Most people can type faster with swype and word prediction, but some words are constantly mis-predicted, frequently changing after you've moved on which causes frustration with repeating mistakes while texting in real time.The most convenient feature was missing on Android, the proper convenience key. Sure there is one, but all it does is launch some app. It cannot pause playback. This makes listening to my podcast very cumbersome. Add to that the fact that Android devices cannot tell when you remove them from the holster. So whereas I used to just reach down and press that convenience key to pause my podcast when I needed to talk to someone, now I need to pick up my phone, wake it up, open the player app, then press pause.
Lastly, if you are really concerned about security, then you shouldn't be using Android as that is developed by Google, which earns their money by selling your data to marketers.
The physical keyboard is what people see, but real BB enthusiasts know that it was much more than that. Unfortunately, it became niche. More people wanted to watch video and play Angry Birds. Most prefer a phone they can play on to one that is better for work. I cannot blame BB for this. Convenience is the antithesis of security, but most people choose convenience over security. That's just what the market bears out.
rocky12345 - Tuesday, September 18, 2018 - link
I have always preferred a hardware keyboard since I dislike the feel of having to use the soft keys from the screen. It is something I have had to get used to and for the most part am mostly fine with it now. I would like to try one of these to see if going back to a hardware keyboard is worth the smaller screen you get from a device like this.Mr Perfect - Tuesday, September 18, 2018 - link
So how is BlackBerry doing as a company these days? Are they stable, or still just circling the drain? It doesn't much matter how interesting the phone is if they're still bleeding cash.V900 - Tuesday, September 18, 2018 - link
Seems that they’re doing alright.They’ve mostly stopped developing new phones though, as I recall they hired some OEM/contract manufacturer to make most of their phones for them and build them.
Seems to have worked out all right.
Mr Perfect - Wednesday, September 19, 2018 - link
Well that's good to hear. Blackberry is one of about three OEMs that do prompt security patching, so I hope things work out for them.10basetom - Tuesday, September 18, 2018 - link
Why did they downgrade GG on the Key2 series?LiverpoolFC5903 - Thursday, September 20, 2018 - link
Even after 5 years of touch only phones, i still detest typing out mails and text messages on a software keypad. The experience never gets better or easier as far as i am concerned. Swiping and other fancy approaches dont work for me. Swiping is not very intuitive any way.Will defo buy the higher end model, especially because you can use the physical keyboard as a trackpad to scroll and select text. Will be a bloody relief!