BlackBerry

BlackBerry’s big release for 2017 is the Keyone, and it has all the potential of being the best phone the company has ever released. In my review earlier this month, I had a lot to say about the device, some of it good, some of it bad. However, now that we’re on the day of launch, I thought it’d be worthwhile to take another quick look at the phone now that the company has been able to adjust things under the hood.

Our review of the BlackBerry Keyone dropped today and one of the smartphone’s standout features is its physical keyboard. The problem with the physical keyboard, though, is that while some people love using it to quickly write out a message, others dislike it because it’s always there and takes real estate away from a potentially larger display. Could a physical keyboard phone like the Keyone become your daily driver?

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Being a millennial, I grew up using flip phones and, later, “smartphones” from BlackBerry and Palm that offered physical keyboards. I loved these types of phones because I could type on them so much faster than the outgoing T9 format. And as the world moved towards modern day smartphones, I’ve long wished I could get another phone with a physical keyboard.

That was until I used the BlackBerry Keyone for several weeks…

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Smartphones have evolved a lot over the years. One of the biggest changes, though, came with the move in popularity from the BlackBerry to the iPhone. It was a jarring transformation, but there’s no question who got it right. Now, nearly a decade later, BlackBerry is a brand that is shocking to hear in the mobile industry, but it’s also one people still fondly remember.

In 2016, BlackBerry tried to make a comeback in the mobile space with the debut of the BlackBerry Priv, an Android-powered slider with a physical keyboard that, well, didn’t do very well. At CES 2017, though, BlackBerry took the wraps off of its latest project with TCL, now known as the Keyone. It made waves in the news as the return to form so many wanted from the company, and now it’s finally for sale. Should you buy it? Let’s take a closer look…

Comment: How BlackBerry fixed the Keyone ahead of its launch

This morning, TCL announced that the BlackBerry Keyone will be making its way to the US and Canada starting on May 31st. Although you might not be able to order the handset just yet, we do have a unit in hand. Here’s a quick slideshow showing you the unboxing experience of the Keyone’s retail packaging…

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First unveiled at this year’s CES, the BlackBerry Keyone (formally known as the Mercury), is the device for those who either love phones with physical keyboards or those who love the BlackBerry brand and everything it represents. It has been a long time coming, but we have officially received word from TCL that the BlackBerry Keyone will be available to purchase in the US and Canada starting on May 31st…

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BlackBerry is back! Sort of. Recently it was announced that BlackBerry would no longer be making its own hardware, but rather licensing its name and providing the software for devices made by other manufacturers. That method has seen solid results with TCL, who helped bring the DTEK50 and DTEK60 to life, as well as the new KeyOne. Now, though, BlackBerry is working with a new manufacturer on a new phone for Indonesia.

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Today at MWC 2017, BlackBerry and TCL officially unveiled the BlackBerry KeyOne, the device formerly known as the “Mercury.” Since the reveal, the biggest complaint I’ve seen circulating around social media regards the pricing, particularly how high it is. Do you think the KeyOne is overpriced?

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BlackBerry’s “hail mary” just went official, the BlackBerry “KeyOne.” Previously referred to as the “Mercury,” this new device from BlackBerry brings the company’s signature design, including the always available hardware keyboard, along with Android. It certainly grabbed a lot of attention back at CES 2017, but now, we finally know all the remaining details…

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BlackBerry is set to introduce the world to its ‘Mercury’ phone later this morning (or later this evening if you’re in Barcelona), but the phone — now officially known as the “KeyOne” — actually just leaked on BlackBerry’s site. We’ll have a livestream up for you soon if you want to tune in, but almost everything about the phone has now surfaced straight from the horse’s mouth. Keep reading to check out the full specs and a gallery of screenshots from the now-pulled KeyOne website…

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Barcelona’s famous fair, the Mobile World Congress, is just around the corner. As always, (almost) all the big names in mobile will join the party to show the latest and greatest coming out of their R&D. And while Samsung’s absence may represent a hit for the general vibe of the coming days, there will certainly be no shortage of new products and announcements.

So let’s dig through them a bit…

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Following its switch to Android, BlackBerry has released some solid devices, but nothing impressive. We have high hopes for the upcoming “Mercury,” which we saw at CES 2017 earlier this month, but it’s definitely going to have an uphill battle. Now, rumor has it the “Mercury” will bring the same camera sensor that is packed inside of Google Pixel and Pixel XL.

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