BlackBerry Key2 smartphone: Our initial impressions

1/8

We last concluded that the BlackBerry KEYone is strictly for BlackBerry fans, but the company is pushing forward with the Key2 that was just launched in early June and now available across the Causeway.

Like its predecessor, it retains the same purposeful design but with updated mid-range hardware - Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, 6GB RAM and runs on Android 8.1 Oreo OS. It comes with 64GB internal storage in Malaysia, but a 128GB option exists elsewhere too. microSD expansion is present too.

2/8

The Key2 comes equipped with a 3500mAh battery and while it may sound decent for its size, we sincerely expected a larger battery to improve its running time after experiencing KEYOne's performance.

Specs aside, the Key2 sports the same rugged, yet entrepreneurial look that many people have come to associate with the brand. The phone's frame uses aluminum to give it rigidity and class, while the soft-touch rubber back actually helps keep the phone firmly in our grip.

3/8

Still touching on the phone's aesthetics, we like how BlackBerry rounded out edges at the bottom of the phone in order to make typing on the keypad a more comfortable experience.

4/8

That brings us to our next topic of discussion: the QWERTY keypad. BlackBerry says that it gave the keys 20% more real estate for the fingers, and we're inclined to believe them. Typing on the phone's keypad actually felt satisfying, and that's also because it retains the same tactile click from the KEYone.

The Key2 once again appeals with its dedicated keypad, and while the experience has improved, it did take a bit of getting used to typing on something other than a software-based keyboard that's present on every other non-BlackBerry device.

5/8

The new Speed Key could stand to benefit from a few tweaks though. While holding down the button and keying in the first initial of an installed app saves us the trouble of heading back to the homepage, it feels as though the feature would be more appealing if it would allow us to search for an app by its full name (or at least a partial search).

6/8

Like its predecessor, the KEY2's display measures in at 4.5-inches and as you would have noticed, the screen doesn't envelop the entire front of the phone. With an almost unheard 3:2 display aspect ratio, it is a necessary evil to keep the phone's form factor to a manageable size while being able to cram both the full QWERTY keyboard and a screen. It's not a Full HD resolution (1620 x 1080 pixels to be exact), but text, app icons, and images looked sharp and clear.

7/8

The phone comes with a dual-12MP camera module at the rear, but to be honest it felt lackluster. In our short time with it, we found it to be very responsive, with the lag between each shot being only a fraction of a second. However, the quality of the photos felt muted and less punchy then we would have liked them to be. Unfortunately, we weren't able to take a lot of photos with the phone, due to an area restriction implemented by BlackBerry at their launch event.

8/8

The BlackBerry Key2 is available in black and silver, and is released globally at a retail price of US$649 (~S$865) and about RM2,599 in Malaysia. Like the original KeyOne, BlackBerry's asking price is - in our humble opinion - rather steep, and that's after taking into consideration the phone's many BlackBerry-centric security features. Not to mention, many consumers have also moved on to adopting an onscreen keyboard input style so the BlackBerry Key series days are numbered.