#NostalgiaOverloaded: BlackBerry KEY2 launched in India for Rs. 42,990
What's the story
It feels like 2016 once again. Why?
Well, in the age of notch-based, bezel-less, edge-to-edge displays, BlackBerry has launched its physical keyboard-based KEY2 smartphone in India.
Priced at Rs. 42,990, the phone features a full QWERTY keypad, dual rear cameras (first time on a BlackBerry phone), a mid-level Snapdragon 660 processor and fingerprint sensor concealed underneath the spacebar key.
For nostalgia's sake, here is our roundup.
Information
BlackBerry KEY 2: Availability and launch offers
The BlackBerry KEY2 will be available exclusively via Amazon India starting July 31. As part of launch offers, there is a Reliance Jio cashback offer of Rs. 4,450 and some cashback for ICICI Bank cardholders. Additionally, more offers will be made available during the sale.
Design & Display
BlackBerry KEY2: At a glance
It is essentially divided into 2 parts: two-third screen area (with a thick top bezel) and one-third area occupied by the QWERTY keypad.
On the rear, there is a horizontally-positioned camera setup and a textured diamond-grip polycarbonate panel.
The phone gets Series 7 aluminum alloy frame with a 4.5-inch full-HD (1080x1620 pixels) IPS LCD touchscreen display, 2.5D Corning Gorilla Glass and 3:2 aspect ratio.
Camera
For the shutterbugs and selfie lovers
The BlackBerry KEY2 offers a dual rear-camera setup comprising a 12-megapixel primary wide-angle sensor with an f/1.8 aperture and a 12-megapixel secondary telephoto sensor with an f/2.6 aperture.
The primary camera also gets dual-tone LED flash and supports HDR, 4K video recording at 30fps, and dual PDAF.
Up front, the phone sports an 8-megapixel fixed-focus sensor with screen flash and 1080p video recording.
Storage, Battery
Under the hood
The phone is powered by a 64-bit octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 processor, paired with 6GB of RAM and 64GB/128GB internal storage which is expandable up to 256GB via microSD card.
The phone supports dual-SIM (Nano) cards, runs Android Oreo 8.1 Oreo and packs a 3,500mAh battery with support for Quick Charge 3.0.
Nitty-Gritty
Connectivity options and sensors onboard BlackBerry KEY2
In terms of connectivity options, the BlackBerry KEY2 gets dual 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 802.11a/c (dual-band 2.4GHz, 5GHz), Bluetooth v5.0 LE, GPS, GLONASS, Beidou, NFC, USB Type-C, FM radio, a 3.5mm headphone jack.
Sensors onboard the handset include an accelerometer, ambient light sensor, gyroscope, hall effect sensor, a fingerprint sensor (hidden under the spacebar key), magnetometer, and proximity sensor.
Features
Some 2018 stuff!
The KEY2 comes with a customizable 'Speed' key on the right edge that opens up pre-set apps.
Moreover, the QWERTY keypad gets some intelligent shortcuts that help users launch apps and initiate commands from anywhere, and can also double up as a trackpad for easy scrolling of web-pages.
The big question
But, is BlackBerry KEY2 relevant in 2018?
Well, for many, at Rs. 42,990, there are plenty of options to consider given the phone is not for video viewing (3:2 aspect ratio sounds obsolete) or gaming (Snapdragon 660? Nope!).
However, there is a niche for this BlackBerry KEY2 - those who need to work on spreadsheets, require better phone security and love the feel of a physical keypad.