BlackBerry is a name that's not heard as often as other brands such as Samsung, Xiaomi, OnePlus and Apple, but the company isn't giving up on its smartphone business yet. In an attempt to lure privacy-laden users in India, BlackBerry launched the Key2 smartphone complete with its iconic physical QWERTY keyboard among other things.
Optiemus Infracom, which is the brand licensee for BlackBerry in India, launched the Key2 smartphone for Rs 42,990 with Jio and ICICI cashback offers. BlackBerry Key2 buyers can avail Rs 4,450 worth Reliance Jio's cashback offer and use ICICI Bank cards to get 5 percent additional cashback. In addition to all this, Optiemus boasts the Key2 smartphones are made locally at its Noida facility, supporting the government's lauded "Make in India" initiative.
But it is not the features and launch offers that should appeal to the Indian consumers. BlackBerry Key2, which succeeds the KeyOne, rightly takes its place as a successor with upgraded features. But the biggest question is whether Key2 can be the smartphone that will put BlackBerry in the same league as the big players.
At the launch price of Rs 42,990, it may seem difficult for BlackBerry to compete against the multitude of options, such as OnePlus 6, Asus Zenfone 5Z, Vivo Nex, and many premium flagships with superior configurations at competitive prices. But BlackBerry will attract some of its fans who would love to use a physical keyboard in a world full of bezel-less displays and notches.
BlackBerry Key2's best USP has to be the security and privacy features that it offers. The handset comes with security features such as Locker, Power Center and DTEK. Users can store their private photos and files inside the fingerprint-locked Locker app and also lock other apps and browsers.
DTEK is apt for users who think apps these days take unnecessary permissions. Using DTEK, users can see the apps and their access to the device and data on the device. If found to be prying, users can limit apps' access accordingly. Finally, Power Centre helps users keep a track on battery and also improve the usability by understanding users' behaviour with the help of machine learning algorithms.
If privacy features haven't won you over, here's a look at the key specifications of the Key2 smartphone. The handset features a 4.5-inch IPS display with Full HD display, dual rear cameras with 12MP sensors, dual PDAF, 4K video recording, dual LED flash and an 8MP front snapper.
BlackBerry Key2 comes with Google Lens, a fingerprint scanner integrated within the space bar of the physical keyboard and supports customisable keyboard gestures. The handset comes with a USB Type-C port for charging, dual SIM card slots, Bluetooth 5.0 and NFC.
With these premium features, BlackBerry Key2 surprisingly runs Qualcomm's Snapdragon 660 octa-core processor, but it is paired with generous 6GB RAM for lag-free multitasking. There's 64GB onboard storage with an expandable option up to 256GB and a reliable 3,500mAh battery.
BlackBerry Key2 is a practical smartphone if your usage doesn't demand to game, as it would be odd to play PUBG on a 3:2 aspect ratio display. Buyers must keep in mind that this is more of a business phone or for someone who values privacy and security of the data stored on the phone.
