July 23, 2018
BlackBerry Key2 with DTEK, physical keyboard launched in India; price, specifications
BlackBerry’s brand licensee in India, Optiemus Infracom, launched the BlackBerry Key2 on Monday. The phone will succeed the BlackBerry KeyOne, which the company claimed to be the ‘most secure Android smartphone’ in 2017.
The Key2 is priced at ₹42,990 and will be available on Amazon.in from July 31. Offers on the phone include Reliance Jio’s cashback of ₹4,450 and ICICI Bank’s cashback of 5% along with additional launch benefits. The BlackBerry Key2 will be manufactured for Indian customers locally at its Noida facility, according to Optiemus Infracom.
What’s new?
The Key2 sports revised design cues when compared to its predecessor, the KeyOne. It comes with a Series 7 aluminium alloy frame with a textured diamond grip non-slip back.
Under the hood we have a Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 SoC paired with 6GB RAM and a choice of 64GB or 128GB storage, which is expandable up to 256GB via a MicroSD card. It also features a revised, full QWERTY Speed Key keyboard, which allows gesture control and quick access for apps. It runs Android 8.1 Oreo and is powered by a 3,500mAh battery that supports Quick Charge 3.0.
On the back, it has a 12MP + 12MP dual-camera setup, a first for any BlackBerry device. On the front, it features an 8MP selfie camera. The phone also supports Google Lens, which gives users more information about a subject by simply pointing the camera at it.
The KeyOne features a Snapdragon 625 SoC paired with 4GB RAM and 64GB ROM in the top-end model and runs Android Nougat 7.1. It comes with a single 12MP camera on the back and an 8MP selfie camera.
There is, however, no change in the display. The Key2 features the same 4.5-inch IPS panel with a resolution of 1080x1620 and 3:2 aspect ratio.
Security and privacy features
Maintaining its major emphasis on security and privacy just like its predecessor, the BlackBerry Key2 comes with applications like Locker, Power Center and DTEK. Locker allows users to store photos and files securely and access them through the fingerprint sensor. It can also store private apps and browsers.
Power Centre uses machine learning to understand user behaviour and provides personal alerts about battery life.
DTEK is an app that lets you monitor, control and track which apps are using the camera, microphone, location and personal information.
