#NostalgiaOverloaded: BlackBerry KEY2 launched in India for Rs. 42,990
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
