What’s new on the The BlackBerry KEY2?

BlackBerry’s KEY2 has taken the mobile world by storm this weekend, with an unprecedented amount of preorders for a new release.

But if you’re wondering whether it’s worth updating last years KEYone to this already unbelievely popular device, read on.

How have BlackBerry updated the KEY2 handset?

Design

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At quick glance, you’d be excused for thinking there were little to no design updates since the KEYone thanks to a continuation of the aluminium frame, touchscreen and QWERTY keyboard. But look closer and you’ll noticed sleek refinements made to offer a modern look on the KEY2.

The KEY2 is slightly smaller, measuring in at 151.4 x 71.8 x 8.5mm and 168g.

The Keyboard is where the major changes lie, using a matte plastic finish with flatter backlit keys. The fingerprint scanner is located in the space key on the QWERTY layout and there’s a change of location for the convenience key.

A new key, the Speed Key, graces the KEY2, allowing you to create two key shortcuts for added speed and convenience.

Camera

The most exciting addition to the design is the dual camera sensors displayed on the rear of the handset. The KEYone offered a 12MP rear camera and 8MP selfie camera with 84 degree field of view.

blackberry key2 dual camera

The KEY2 steps up with a dual 12MP snapper on the rear, one with an f/1.8 aperture, the second offering an f/2.6 aperture with optical zoom.BlackBerry is using the secondary rear shooter as a telephoto zoom, similar to the iPhone X, and enabling portrait mode shots too.

The Selfie game hasn’t changed much, with the same 8MP camera that can capture 1080p video at 30 frames per second.

Display

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There’s little updates here, with both devices housing a 4.5-inch IPS LCD touchscreen display with a resolution of 1,620 x 1,080.

Under the Hood

BlackBerry has updated most areas of the KEY2’s power, performance and battery life. The OS steps up from Nougat to Android 8.1 Oreo, with Android P on its way. The chipset is upgrade to  a Snapdragon 660 with 6GB RAM and 64GB internal memory. Slightly confusingly, the KEY2’s battery is technically smaller than the KEY1, but offers a more efficient use with a speedier Quick Charge 3.0.

Preorder the BlackBerry KEY2 today, available with UK and international delivery upon release.

 

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