BlackBerry launches power-packed DTEK60, formally exits smartphone business

Canadian handset pioneer BlackBerry launched the third and the last Android-powered smartphone DTEK60 on Tuesday.

BlackBerry's swansong device DTEK60 comes endowed with top-notch hardware and highly-secured software. It boasts 5.5-inch QHD display having pixel density of 534 ppi (pixels per inch) and scratch resistant technology. On the back, it houses fingerprint sensor.

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Under the hood, it comes packed with Qualcomm's powerful Snapdragon 820 quad-core processor backed by 4GB RAM, 32GB internal storage and a 3,000mAh battery, which can keep the phone running a whole day under mixed usage.

It also houses a feature-rich 21MP primary camera, which houses dual-tone LED flash, Phase Detect Auto Focus (PDAF), fast focus lock, HDR, 6-element f/2.0 lens capable of capturing high resolution 4K videos, as well.

Notable aspect about the BlackBerry DTEK60 is secured interface. It runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow, which is integrated the company's proprietary security technology including "Hardware Root of Trust", which offer security from the start, allowing for the tracking, verification and provisioning of the DTEK60.

The BlackBerry device also boasts secured boot process, wherein each stage of DTEK60's secure boot chain will first verify that the next component is fully intact before proceeding, ensuring the device has not been tampered with since the last restart.

In addition to that, it provides another layer of protection by improving Android's native Address Space Layout Randomization to reduce the number of system applications and services running with elevated permissions. This makes it more difficult for attackers to compromise the OS, BlackBerry claims.

"With the DTEK60, BlackBerry continues to focus on our strengths: state-of-the-art software and security solutions. When you see our logo it means security, from our class-leading enterprise software to devices secured by BlackBerry software," Ralph Pini, Chief Operating Officer and General Manager of Mobility Solutions at BlackBerry, said in a statement.

As said in September, BlackBerry will shut the smartphone business and focus solely on software.

That said, BlackBerry has only ended the in-house production of its phones, and it will outsource that function to its partners, who will then design, build and sell the devices. This strategy will benefit BlackBerry as it would save on capital.

Read more: BlackBerry goes soft on hardware and hard on software

BlackBerry DTEK60 price and availability:

The new BlackBerry DTEK60 is currently available on ShopBlackBerry in North America and Europe for $499(€457/Rs. 33,359) and will soon be rolled out to other regions in coming weeks.

With such high-end hardware and reasonable price-tag, BlackBerry DTEK60 has got per combination to take on popular Samsung Galaxy S7 and Apple iPhone 7 series, but remains to be seen, how consumers will react to the BlackBerry device. Many are apprehensive about after sales-service, as this is the company's last product.

Key specifications of BlackBerry DTEK60: