BlackBerry Archives - Gizmochina

How Touchscreen Smartphones Killed the Blackberry

Sean — Thu, 20 Feb 2025 13:52:06 +0000

Blackberry was a household name in mobile communications in the early 2000s. Thanks to its iconic physical physical QWERTY keyboard and secure email system, phones from the brand also became popular amongst business professionals. However, the arrival of touchscreen smartphones completely transformed the mobile landscape, starting the downfall of Blackberry’s dominance. So here’s a closer look at how touchscreen technology revolutionized the industry and ultimately killed Blackberry.

The Rise of Touchscreen Technology

Despite initial pushback against the removal of touchscreens, the iPhone helped lead the shift in industry standard. 2007 was a pivotal year as the first iPhone was released with a sleek design and intuitive all digital UI. The touchscreen enabled dynamic interactions, various gestures, and a flexible user interface that could adapt to numerous applications. In just a short amount of time, the touchscreen shifted consumer expectations away from physical keyboards to interactive screens.

Blackberry’s Struggle to Adapt

Blackberry played on its strengths that included its tactile QWERTY keyboards and focus on security. While it remained a staple for certain users, the company struggled to adapt to the shifting market. Blackberry stuck to the formula that worked well for them but smartphones were the future. While competitors were embracing full screen displays and developing robust app ecosystems, Blackberry continued to prioritize its traditional keyboard and enterprise-centric features. This slow change made it difficult for Blackberry to compete with the sleek, multifunctional devices that quickly captured market share.

Shifting Consumer Preferences

Over time, people began seeing all the positives for the touchscreen over physical keyboards. Touchscreens offered a platform for multi-touch gestures, app integrations, and customizable interfaces. Meanwhile, Blackberry’s offerings began to seem outdated and less engaging. The shift in user preferences towards media consumption, social networking, and gaming hastened Blackberry’s decline, as these activities were best experienced larger screened devices.

Impact on the Enterprise Market

Blackberry had a stronghold in the corporate world, where security and productivity were crucial. However, even businesses began to favor phones that could offer both security and a modern user experience. With companies eventually adopting platforms that used a wide range of apps and services, touchscreen smartphones became a necessity. Taking all of this into account, Blackberry’s inability to quickly adapt cost them the business side of its customers as well.

Conclusion

Touchscreen smartphones have changed the way we interact with technology. These have reshaped the mobile world and Blackberry, who was once a leader in mobile communications, was unable to make a swift evolution. As a result, the company had sealed its fate. The evolution of mobile technology reminds us that in the tech world, innovation is key to survival.

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Beepberry: The BlackBerry Keyboard That Will Make You Feel Like a Hacker

Oğuz Çakır — Thu, 18 May 2023 23:50:45 +0000

I’m sure many of you remember BlackBerry, the legendary phone manufacturer of yesteryears. As one of the pioneers in the industry, the company was quite successful until the rise of smartphones. However, they failed to keep up with trends that came with touchscreens and eventually vanished from the market. However, if you miss Blackberry, it looks like there’s a new product that’s just your speed: the “Beepberry.” Here are the details…

Beepberry is a BlackBerry keyboard tinker toy from the founder of Pebble

Who could forget the BlackBerry and its fantastic keyboard? Although modern smartphones have achieved some success in this regard, the company seems to cater specifically to those born to write. Eric Migicovsky, the founder of Pebble smartwatch and co-founder of Beeper, aware of this situation, has crafted an ingenious device that may just meet your needs. Beepberry, priced at $79, is a custom-made pocket computer featuring a genuine BlackBerry keyboard.

I’m excited to introduce a little side project I’ve been working on: Beepberry – a portable e-paper computer for hackers, designed for chatting on Beeper. It’s available today to pre-order for $79. It’s a partnership between me (@onbeeper) and @sqfmi: https://t.co/hIZRQMTrvr
— Eric Migicovsky (@ericmigi) May 17, 2023

Although it’s primarily designed to run the Beeper messaging app, this remarkable gadget can be tweaked to perform almost any task you desire.The Beepberry is a pocket-sized computer that combines the Raspberry Pi Zero W with the keyboard of a BlackBerry Classic. It is designed to run the Beeper messaging app, but it can be used for a variety of other tasks. The Beepberry has a 2.7-inch screen, a backlit keyboard, a USB-C port, an RGB LED, a side button, a power switch, and General Purpose Input / Output (GPIO) breakouts.

It is powered by a 2,000mAh battery. The Beepberry is available for $79. The Beepberry kit, which includes a preinstalled Pi Zero W, is available for $99. The Beepberry is a versatile device that is perfect for hackers, tinkerers, and anyone who wants a unique and portable computer. It is still under development, but it has a lot of potential.

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“BlackBerry” Trailer Released: Explore the Iconic Story of a Tech Icon

Oğuz Çakır — Thu, 16 Mar 2023 10:13:08 +0000

Once a legendary phone brand, BlackBerry has now faded into obscurity. Struggling to adapt to the rise of touchscreen phones, the company could not compete with Android and iOS, ultimately disappearing from the market. While there have been several attempts to revive the brand, they have all been unsuccessful. However, BlackBerry’s story is not forgotten and will soon be retold on the big screen for a new generation. Here are the details…

BlackBerry: A Cinematic Journey Through the Rise and Fall of a Tech Icon

Last August, the completion of a movie recounting the incredible journey of BlackBerry was announced. Based on the 2015 book “Losing the Signal,” this must-watch film for phone enthusiasts is set to grace theaters on May 12th. Recently, the trailer of the movie was released.

Starring Glenn Howerton of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia as co-CEO Jim Balsillie and Canadian actor Jay Baruchel as co-CEO Mike Lazaridis, “BlackBerry” takes viewers on a trip down memory lane. The film traces the company’s early days with its revolutionary two-way paging system, which evolved into a mobile email device indispensable for businesspeople. BlackBerry soon gained fame for its smartphones with physical keyboards.

But the tide turned when Steve Jobs unveiled the touchscreen iPhone at Macworld on January 9th, 2007. This pivotal event, featured in the movie’s trailer, marked the beginning of BlackBerry’s downturn. In response, the company launched the Storm in November 2008, a Verizon exclusive. Although the Storm generated considerable profits for Verizon, its numerous bugs resulted in every unit being returned by unhappy customers.

The company tried to bounce back with a Storm sequel, but by then, the Motorola DROID and Android had become the first real challengers to the iPhone. After years of setbacks, BlackBerry finally embraced Android, offering a comprehensive app storefront. The BlackBerry PRIV (short for privacy) marked the end of an era as the company’s final self-designed and produced device.

Later, BlackBerry licensed its name to Chinese phone maker TCL, which released the KEYOne and Key2. However, TCL let its license lapse, and when Onward Mobility, a little-known company with plans to create a 5G BlackBerry, withdrew, the BlackBerry phone’s fate was sealed.

The movie won’t cover BlackBerry’s entire history or its transformation into a cybersecurity firm. Instead, it will focus on BlackBerry’s ascent as a must-have business device, its early smartphone market success, the crushing impact of the touchscreen iPhone, and the company’s futile efforts to recover with the BlackBerry Storm.

For those who remember BlackBerry’s heyday or simply love smartphones, “BlackBerry” is the cinematic event of the year. Mark May 12th on your calendar and get ready to experience the compelling tale of a once-iconic brand in mobile technology.

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5G BlackBerry phone project officially dead as OnwardMobility shuts down

Sean — Mon, 21 Feb 2022 10:27:25 +0000

At the start of this year, the smartphone market was abuzz as OnwardMobility announced that it would be working on launching a 5G enabled BlackBerry smartphone. However, just a few weeks after, it was reported that the company lost the rights to the latter’s name. Now, this unfortunate news has officially been confirmed.

As per an official announcement, the company stated that “We want to thank you all for the tremendous amount of support that you have given us since we first launched OnwardMobility. However, it is with great sadness that we announce that OnwardMobility will be shutting down, and we will no longer be proceeding with the development of an ultra secure smartphone with a physical keyboard.” Simply put, the 5G BlackBerry phone project is officially dead.

The announcement arrives a mere six weeks after it first revealed its plans. So this arrives as unfortunate news for those looking forward to the promised BlackBerry experience. In our previous report, we had stated that BB has been working on distancing itself from its past. Meaning, there probably won’t be another BB phone for a long while, or maybe never at all. BlackBerry CEO John Chen had also changed his decision of having another OEM try and revive the brand by acquiring the license to its name. So this might really be the final nail to the coffin.

Galaxy S22 series, Android 13 Developer Preview, Infinix ZERO 5G, and more from Last Week

Sudarshan Ravichandran — Mon, 14 Feb 2022 17:35:14 +0000

We are back again with our new list of top stories from the previous week. Lots of things happened last week. Most importantly, Samsung announced its flagship smartphones and tablets of 2022. Then, out of the blue, Google dropped the first Developer Preview of Android 13. At the same time, the search giant ended support for one of the Pixel series. Let’s take a look at these and a lot more in our ‘latest Top Stories from Last Week’ segment.

Before we continue, we would like to inform you that the stories selected here are based on our opinion. Further, they are listed in no particular order. Since everyone’s choices differ from others, we would like to know your picks in the comment section below.

OnwardMobility kills the 5G BlackBerry project after losing rights to BlackBerry’s name

Sean — Fri, 11 Feb 2022 11:12:20 +0000

Just last month, it was confirmed that a new BlackBerry 5G phone with a keyboard would launch this year. This was set to be the first BlackBerry smartphone in years, but now, it seems like this device is cancelled after OnwardMobility lost rights to the BlackBerry’s name.

Back in August 2020, it was revealed that OnwardMobility is the latest licensee for the BB brand for smartphones. While the BlackBerry 5G phone suffered from delays, OnwardMobility insisted that the device is on its way. But according to an AndroidPolice report, the 5G BB project is apparently dead. The news arrives from Kevin Michaluk, founder of CrackBerry, and other sources have revealed that OnwardMobility is not planning on working on the project any longer.

Reportedly, the company has cancelled the project despite acquiring the license to use the American phone maker’s name. Furthermore, even BlackBerry is looking to distance itself from its past identity as a smartphone vendor as it sold the rest of its mobile patents earlier this month for 600 million US Dollars. While we have not seen any leaks related to OnwardMobility’s 5G BlackBerry phone, it was believed to feature a design similar to the previously launched BB Priv, which was an Android slider phone.

BB Priv

For those unaware, the new 5G BB phone was planned to release in mid 2021, but faced delays due to issues with the supply chain followed by BlackBerry CEO John Chen changing his decision of having another OEM try and revive the brand on another smartphone. So, with OnwardMobility losing the license to its name, we might not see another BlackBerry phone for a long time.

Patent troll acquires $600 million worth of patents from BlackBerry

Sudhanshu — Mon, 31 Jan 2022 17:49:46 +0000

Canadian smartphone manufacturer BlackBerry has sold its legacy patents covering mobile technologies to Catapult IP Innovations Inc. for $600 million. The company has disclosed that the sale consists of all its non-core patent assets.

According to a report by AppleInsider, this move from BlackBerry may spell trouble for other smartphone companies like Apple who may be subject to patent trolling in the future.

The concern arises as the Cupertino-based giant has been sued multiple times in the past for alleged BlackBerry patent infringements and the patents are now being sold to Catapult IP Innovations Inc. which could be considered a nonpracticing entity (NPE).

For those unaware, a patent troll is a derogatory term used to describe a business that utilizes patents and the court system to earn money. In other words, the company may use the patents it acquired from the deal with BlackBerry to demand royalties or outright sue other smartphone manufacturers for patent infringement.

BlackBerry will get $450 million dollars in cash, a promissory note for $150 million as well as the license for using the patents. In return, Catapult IP Innovations Inc. will acquire BlackBerry’s patents related to mobile devices, messaging, and wireless networking IPs. BlackBerry specifically says that the sale will not affect customers using its products or services.

The company says the deal will need to satisfy all regulatory conditions under the Hart–Scott–Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act in the United States and the Investment Canada Act, which could take up to 210 days.

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BlackBerry 5G phone with keyboard confirmed to launch this year

Anvinraj Valiyathara — Mon, 10 Jan 2022 10:56:04 +0000

BlackBerry recently confirmed that it will be ending support for all its classic smartphones. It said that it will not be offering support for devices that run on BlackBerry 10 OS or later. In August 2020, Onward Mobility, the company that is licensed to launch BlackBerry-branded phones, revealed that it will be launching new and innovative BlackBerry 5G phones in 2021, but it did not come true. The American company released a new update to confirm that it will be launching a 5G-ready BlackBerry phone even though its arrival has been delayed.

When BlackBerry released an official confirmation that it will stop providing support for BlackBerry phones running BB10 OS, people assumed that the BlackBerry brand is dead. In a blog post, Onward Mobility said that the year 2021 was so challenging for the company that it could not launch a new phone.

It encountered various delays, which prevent it from launching the first BlackBerry phone with 5G support in 2021. It further said that it will release timely updates on the “ultra-secure 5G enterprise smartphone” starting from this month. It will come equipped with a keyboard for a better productivity experience. However, there is no information available on the moniker and specifications of the device.

BlackBerry phones that were launched under the TCL brand between 2016 and 2018 came with Android OS. To those who are unaware, the licensing agreement came to an end in 2020. It appears that the upcoming 5G BlackBerry phone may run on Android 12 OS. Hopefully, the company will release some interesting information about the much-awaited BlackBerry 5G phone later this month. It is expected to release in multiple markets like North America, Europe, and Asia. The company is said to be working with Foxconn’s FIH Mobile to develop the first BlackBerry phone with 5G support.

BlackBerry has officially ended support for all of its classic smartphones

Sean — Fri, 31 Dec 2021 06:53:11 +0000

BlackBerry, one of the most popular phone brands of the era before smartphones took over, has just made a new announcement. The company is finally ending its official support for all of its classic smartphone models.

The Canadian phone brand made the announcement earlier this week (Via 9To5Mac). So now, all of the company’s classic smartphones that run BlackBerry OS or BB10 OS will no longer be supported. Furthermore, the brand has even warned its customers that they will no longer receive any patches to ensure that the carrier or WiFi connection remains functional. In other words, BlackBerry smartphone users might lose calling, cellular data, SMS, and emergency service call functionality.

Although, the same does not apply to the company’s smartphone models that run the Android operating system right now, with official support for these models ending on 4th January 2022. For those unaware, the company was one of the largest brands in the market before the entry of iPhones and before Android smartphones took over the world.

Initially, veteran brands like Nokia and BlackBerry didn’t believe that a full touchscreen phone would ever have a great impact on the market. But as we can see now, devices with physical keyboards have more or less been phased out completely. So with the end of the official support for BB smartphones, we can say that this marks an end of an era. Notably, we advise that users of BB devices back up all of their data as well, and also possibly prepare to shift to another brand soon.

Onward Mobility announces “Pre-commitment Program” ahead of its first BlackBerry phone

Habeeb Onawole — Mon, 26 Jul 2021 18:08:49 +0000

Last year, it was announced that the American software company, Onward Mobility, is the latest licensee for the BlackBerry brand and it will launch the first 5G Blackberry smartphone this year. Ahead of the release of the phone, the company has launched a program to interact with fans of the BlackBerry brand as well as potential customers.

Called The Program, Onward Mobility describes it as “a pre-commitment program to expand its engagement with customers interested in purchasing the new and innovative BlackBerry 5G smartphones.”

Those who join The Program will receive information about the smartphones, features, and availability before the general public. The manufacturer also says that they will be able to provide input which will influence the features and functions of the phone. Lastly, they will be able to pre-order the device earlier than others as well as be among the first to receive the device when it launches.

This move by Onward Mobility is not the first of its kind in the mobile industry. A number of manufacturers such as OnePlus have programs that allow fans provide input about features they want in a phone. Some lucky members also get to experience and even use a device before it launches.

The first BlackBerry phone from the American company will retain the classic BlackBerry design which is a physical QWERTY keyboard. It will also have a flagship camera. Onward Mobility has said that the phone is being developed in partnership with FIH Mobile but it plans to have future phones assembled in the USA.

You can sign up to be a part of The Program here.

OnwardMobility, the new BlackBerry licensee, plans to bring BlackBerry phones to Asia

Habeeb Onawole — Thu, 11 Feb 2021 13:37:41 +0000

Last year, a new BlackBerry licensee called OnwardMobility announced that it will release new BlackBerry phones this year that will have 5G support. A new report says the American company has plans to bring the new BlackBerry phones to the Asian market too.

The press release from OnwardMobility last year said that their first BlackBerry phone will be announced in Europe and North America. Asian fans of the brand must have been saddened seeing as they were left out. However, that is not the case as Nikkei Asia reports that the new BlackBerry phones from the company will also be announced in Asia.

Peter Franklin who heads OnwardMobility is reported to have said that Asia is also a very important market. The manufacturer doesn’t have a defined timeframe for when the phones will launch in Asia but the CEO said they are in the “process of speaking to customers and mobile carriers on a global scale to develop our distribution plan”.

The first BlackBerry phone from the company will have a physical keyboard, a flagship camera, and 5G connectivity, and it is being jointly developed with Foxconn’s FIH Mobile. Franklin has said that their long term goal is to have their phones assembled in the USA.

He believes that there is still a market for BlackBerry phones and that their smartphones which will have a physical keyboard “can help boost productivity”. It appears the company has no intention of making a touchscreen-only model like the Optiemus-made BlackBerry Evolve and BlackBerry Evolve X or the TCL-made BlackBerry Motion.

The much-loved form factor is not the only thing the company is bringing. The phones will also provide protection against data leaks and online threats. OnwardMobility says they will partner with an external cybersecurity company for this.

The smartphone market is a highly competitive one. OnwardMobility will have to offer products that can compete with phones from Samsung, Apple, Xiaomi, and OnePlus. It does have the advantage as none of these other players make phones with a physical keyboard but it remains to be seen if that and the better security it promises will be able to woo customers.

BlackBerry to power Baidu’s mapping technology used in Chinese EVs

Sean — Wed, 27 Jan 2021 07:18:10 +0000

While BlackBerry is no longer a major player in the mobile market, it is continuing to expand its presence in the automobile market. The company will be powering the mapping technology of Baidu, the Chinese counterpart and rival of Google, that will power future electric vehicles in China.

According to a CNET report, Baidu’s high definition mapping technology for automobiles will run on BlackBerry’s QNX Neutrino real time operating system. This technology will be used by Guangzhou Automobile Group and future electric vehicles from the Chinese company, which will feature the BlackBerry/Baidu technology. This marks another step for BlackBerry in its efforts to grow in China, arriving after it closed a deal with Baidu to provide its software to the company’s Apollo self driving car program as well.

At the moment, the software from BlackBerry only acts as a supporting system towards driver assisting technology. However, the company aims on launching a fully automated driving system sometime in the future. Furthermore, the company stated that its software technology is already used in over 175 million cars across the globe that feature active safety or driver assist capabilities.

Unfortunately, this is all the information available regarding the matter. We have yet to see if this partnership with Baidu involves other undertakings and new deals also forming for BlackBerry. Notably, Baidu is also working on building its own cars through a partnership with Geely as well. So stay tuned for more updates.

OnwardMobility to announce new BlackBerry 5G phones next year

Habeeb Onawole — Wed, 19 Aug 2020 13:51:34 +0000

Earlier this year, TCL and BlackBerry Mobile announced that the latter will no longer design, manufacture, and sell BlackBerry-branded mobile devices anymore. There has not been a new BlackBerry phone in almost two years but that will change next year.

Apparently, there is a new BlackBerry licensee called OnwardMobility and they have announced they will launch the first BlackBerry 5G mobile phone next year. OnwardMobility is a security solutions company that is headed by Peter Franklin.

According to a video released by the CEO, the company has gone into an agreement with FIH Mobile, a subsidiary of Foxconn Technology Group, to launch a new 5G BlackBerry smartphone that will be powered by Android.

This image above from OnwardMobility’s website says new BlackBerry 5G smartphones are coming in 2021. This means there will be more than one device next year.

The company executive has also given us a heads-up with respect to the design of the first phone. In the video, he revealed that the new phone will have a physical keyboard. So we expect it to have a form factor similar to the BlackBerry KEY2.

With respect to specs, there are no details yet other than it having support for 5G. However, we presume it will not be a flagship phone.

OnwardMobility is promising a feature-rich Android smartphone that delivers on security and productivity which are the main strengths of BlackBerry smartphones. Information on the manufacturer’s website says that the phone will launch in the first half of 2021 in North America and Europe.

It definitely is good news to know that BlackBerry Mobile is not dead. We also hope OnwardMobility will have more success with the brand.

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BlackBerry Mobile is dead; this time at the hands of TCL

Habeeb Onawole — Mon, 03 Feb 2020 15:22:20 +0000

BlackBerry Mobile is dead again. For the third time, but at the hands of its licensee, TCL. After a three-year partnership that began in 2016, we will not be seeing any new BlackBerry Mobile smartphones made by TCL anymore. The announcement was made via the official BlackBerry Mobiles Twitter account a short while ago.

TCL and BlackBerry Mobile entered into an agreement in December 2016 that saw the former manufacture new BlackBerry mobile phones such as the BlackBerry KEYone, BlackBerry KEY2, and BlackBerry KEY2 LE. Let’s also not forget the BlackBerry Motion.

pic.twitter.com/jhcfVHjVqL

— BlackBerry Mobile (@BBMobile) February 3, 2020

The press release said beginning August 31, 2020, TCL Communication will no longer sell BlackBerry-branded mobile devices. It goes on to say that TCL Communications has no right to design, manufacture or sell any new Blackberry mobile devices. However, the company (TCL) will continue to provide support for the existing devices up until August 31, 2022.

TCL didn’t announce a new BlackBerry phone last year (not counting the BlackBerry KEY2 RED Edition) and neither did any of the other two licensees – Optiemus and BB Merah Putih of India and Indonesia respectively. Since no new products were announced, we could tell something was up. However, only the partnership with TCL Communications is ending as there is no news regarding the other two licensees.

TCL already announced its first branded smartphone last year and is set to announce three new models at MWC 2020. It also still manufactures Alcatel-branded devices and is very much still in the TV business.

Based on this new development, it is safe to say BlackBerry is dead again. Will it be resurrected one more time? Only time will tell.

(Source)

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BlackBerry KEY2 gets November security patch in China

Habeeb Onawole — Mon, 16 Dec 2019 23:33:23 +0000

None of the licensees for the BlackBerry Mobile brand announced a new smartphone this year. Not TCL, not Optiemus Infracom, and definitely not BB Merah Putih. One can say the brand is dead once again. However, while no new phones were announced, the older ones got software updates albeit security patches. For example, the 2017 BlackBerry Motion got September 2019’s security patch back in October. Now there are reports that the KEY2 is getting November’s security patch.

The news comes from China and it says the changelog doesn’t bring any new features other than the security patch. So the BlackBerry KEY2 is still stuck on Android 8.1 Oreo which is quite sad.

While there is no confirmation of a new BlackBerry phone in development, one thing we are sure of is that there won’t be a 5G BlackBerry phone anytime soon according to a TCL executive. Stefan Streit who is the general manager of marketing said back in October that they have no plans to launch a 5G BlackBerry phone. Apparently, he doesn’t see the need for the technology on a device that isn’t considered as an entertainment phone. This is not completely ruling out a 5G BlackBerry phone but it just isn’t currently in their plans.

The BlackBerry KEY2 was announced in June 2018. It has a 4.5-inch screen with a 1080 x 1620 resolution that sits above a physical QWERTY keyboard. The phone is powered by the Snapdragon 660 and has 6GB of RAM and 64GB or 128GB of expandable storage. There are dual 12MP cameras on the rear while an 8MP camera sits in front for selfies and video calls. The phone also has a 3500mAh battery with support for Quick Charge 3.0, a front-mounted fingerprint scanner, NFC, and an audio jack.

TCL is currently focusing on its own brand. It launched the TCL Plex in September and there is a possibility it will announce another TCL-banded phone next year. So for now, one can say the BlackBerry Mobile brand has taken a backseat.

(Via)

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TCL has no plans to launch Blackberry 5G phone anytime soon

Anvinraj Valiyathara — Fri, 04 Oct 2019 07:38:36 +0000

Once considered among the flag-bearers of technology in the smartphone industry, Blackberry was on the verge of going out-of-business before the brand was purchased by TCL back in 2016. With the lack of any new models in the past year, Blackberry devices are likely to remain as midrange budget offerings in the near future. If you are holding on to hopes of seeing a 5G Blackberry, TCL has made a formal announcement confirming that there are no such plans as of now.

In an announcement made during a CCS Insight event in London, Stefan Streit, TCL’s General Manager of Marketing said, “There is no point of 5G on a Blackberry. The device is not for entertainment and emails are already quite fast”. Having shown great enthusiasm for a major part of 2018, Blackberry devices have been largely missing in action since the beginning of 2019.

Editor’s Pick: Blackberry partners Jaguar Land Rover on autonomous vehicles development

It is not that TCL is not investing in 5G. They are exploring other opportunities where the 5G technology can be useful, like an 8K TV or a Smart fridge. TCL is focused on introducing their own lineup of 5G smartphones under the Plex brand name. While also introducing the technology to Alcatel, the second smartphone brand under their banner. The company plans on introducing affordable smartphones by the middle of 2020.

According to CCS Insights, the prices of 5G smartphones will plummet in 2020 due to oversupply. The analytics firm reasons that there are so many devices available across the globe that supply will overpower demand shortly causing widespread price cuts. At the onset of 2022 alone the adoption of 5G will outpace that of 4G in the first three years!

TCL Plex 5G Specifications and Features

In related news, TCL unveiled their first 5G smartphone named TCL Plex 5G at the IFA 2019 in September. The device features a 6.53-inch display with a dedicated chipset that converts standard dynamic range content to high dynamic range, presenting additional true colors tones. The smartphone draws power from a Qualcomm Snapdragon 675 SoC with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of native storage. It has a triple camera layout starting with a 48-megapixel sensor, along with a 16-megapixel lens and a 2-megapixel sensor. The device sports a 3,820 mAh battery. TCL aims at pricing the 5G variant below the $1000 mark, although there is no official announcement yet.

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Blackberry partners Jaguar Land Rover on autonomous vehicles development

Jed John Ikoba — Mon, 09 Sep 2019 10:24:11 +0000

Whenever the name Blackberry is mentioned, what readily comes to mind is the physical QWERTY keyboard-packing smartphone. But the company is much more than its ailing smartphone brand. In recent times, BlackBerry reorganised into three business units: IoT, Blackberry Cylance, and Licensing with a focus on enterprise software, services, security, and the Internet of Things. In this light, the company has announced a partnership with automobile giant Jaguar Land Rover which will see both firms work together to develop new autonomous vehicles using artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning technologies.

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The autonomous vehicles will use Blackberry’s QNX operating system and Blackberry Cylance, the security software technology which Blackberry acquired at the end of last year. This is in a bid to develop a range of capabilities to bolster vehicle safety, including predictive software maintenance and cyber threat protection, in Jaguar Land Rover’s next-generation vehicle architecture.

The partnership will also see Blackberry help Jaguar Land Rover identify potential security vulnerabilities found in connected and autonomous vehicles. This will be the first time Blackberry will integrate Cylance’s AI technology into Blackberry’s solution since it bought the security company at the end of last year in what was its biggest acquisition to date.

UP NEXT: Huawei considers selling Kirin chips, but only for IoT devices

(via)

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Throwback Tech Thursday: We Revisit the Best Selling BlackBerry Curve Series

Joel Joseph — Thu, 01 Aug 2019 18:26:10 +0000

Before Android & iPhones were popular, there were only a handful of players that were dominating the phone industry. One among them was the Canadian smartphone maker, BlackBerry. While its phones are non-existent today, just as the original Nokia brand that vanished from the market, back in the 2000s, BB phones were really popular. In fact so popular that BlackBerry’s Curve models outsold the iPhone back in 2009. For Q1 2009 in the US, BlackBerry had three models in the top 5 best selling phones list, with the other two being the iPhone 3G and the T-Mobile G1 aka HTC Dream (this was the first ever Android phone and we have a special throwback here). It’s rather funny to see how things have changed now. Android smartphones and iPhones dominate the smartphone market, while BlackBerry is nowhere to be seen.

Source: Flickr Marvin Kuo

BlackBerry Curve reached out to a really large set of users with its competitive pricing and a full-sized QWERTY keyboard. In fact, the BlackBerry 8320, which was quite a popular model in the series was the smallest and the lightest BlackBerry phone to feature a full-sized QWERTY keyboard back then. The keyboard was really cool, which made every BlackBerry phone a texter’s dream! The BB 8320 came with support for instant messengers like Gtalk, Yahoo, Windows Live, & AOL which kept its users ahead in their social game. Not to mention, BBM (BlackBerry Messenger) was a really big hit back in the late 2000s. Being exclusive to BlackBerry phones, BBM users seemed to have a different social circle altogether!

Source: Flickr Enrique Dans

The phone came with Blackberry’s iconic trackball navigation which made browsing through the UI a breeze. It had Wi-Fi as well as Bluetooth 2.0. Wi-Fi, in particular, wasn’t a common feature among BlackBerry phones, so the 8320 stood out. Further, the phone came with a 2MP rear camera. It wasn’t a good camera but then BlackBerry was never a fan of adding cameras to its smartphones. So to see even a 2MP sensor on the back of a BlackBerry phone was a big deal back then.

Other features of the device included a 3.5mm headphone jack, MicroSD slot, GSM/ Edge support (yes, no 3G despite iPhone featuring it!), and an inbuilt MP3 and MP4 player.

Editor’s Pick: Throwback Tech Thursday: Engaging the Legendary Nokia N-Gage!

The BlackBerry Curve 83XX series didn’t have a fancy processor, an amazing camera or even 3G. But the 8300 series models featured a full-sized QWERTY keyboard, a compact lightweight design (which didn’t bother you when you talked on the phone for hours), and a solid messenger client which kept you ahead in your social game.

Later versions of the Curve replaced the Trackball with an optical Trackpad (Source: Wikipedia)

Later models in the BlackBerry Curve series saw a shift from the traditional trackball to an optical trackpad. For example, the Blackberry 8530, which was yet another popular model in the series, featured an optical trackpad. It continued with the QWERTY keyboard design as its predecessors along with a 2MP camera. Even the battery life was as terrible as the older models.

By 2011, BlackBerry decided it was time to introduce full touch screen models in the Curve series. So the Curve 9380 finally ditched the QWERTY keyboard for a 3.2″ display with 360×480 pixels. After experimenting with touch, there were a couple of QWERTY models in the Curve series like the BB Curve 9320. But after that, the Curve series pretty much came to an end.

So did you ever use any of the BlackBerry Curve series models? How was your experience?

ALSO READ: Throwback Tech Thursday: Revisiting the Iconic Moto Razr V3, the Phone That Made You Look Cool!

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Blackberry KEY2 Red Edition launches in China for 4499 Yuan (~$670)

Simranpal Singh — Mon, 25 Mar 2019 11:02:45 +0000

Blackberry introduced KEY2 Red edition at MWC 2019 with new advancements. The new edition surfaced with aluminium design featuring red accent frame, and the black colour on keys and rear side texture. Today, Blackberry launched the new KEY2 Red edition in China. Interested users can buy it from JD.com for 4499 Yuan which roughly translates to $670.

The Blackberry KEY2 Red edition carries few software and design changes. It brings an ergonomically friendly action bar with important shortcuts at the bottom, revamped Blackberry Hub and BackBerry Calendar, and the new red colour design. Moreover, it hosts the same hardware specifications matching its standard version.

Blackberry KEY2 Red edition specifications

Blackberry KEY2 Red edition features a 4.5-inch display having a resolution of 1620 x 1080 pixels with 433 ppi. It is protected with Corning Gorilla Glass 3. Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 octa-core SoC powers it along with Adreno 512 GPU. Other specifications include 6GB RAM, 128 GB Internal storage, Android 8.1 Oreo, 3360 mAh battery, fingerprint sensor and a dual Hybrid SIM.

In-camera department, users will get a dual rear camera – 12 MP f/1.8 + 12MP f/2.6 with dual-tone LED flash. On the front side, there’s an 8MP camera for selfies and video calling. Unlike its competitors, Blackberry still supports 3.5 mm audio jack and comprising features such as HD audio, FM Radio and Dual Microphones. In connectivity, Blackberry added support for 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 ac (2.4 & 5 GHz), Bluetooth 5 LE, GPS / GLONASS, NFC and USB 3.0 Type-C. It measures 151.4×71.8×8.5mm and weighs 168g.

Related: BlackBerry KEY2 LE: A cheaper and less powerful KEY2, starts at $399

It is already available in Europe from the official online store. It would be interesting to see the number of sales despite being a costly affair featuring mid-range devices. Presently, on paper other flagship devices – Lenovo Z5, Xiaomi Mi 9 and Black Shark 2 are offering good value for money with Snapdragon 855 on board.

source | via

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BlackBerry CEO does not believe in foldable phones, finds them Bulky!

Michele Ingelido — Fri, 08 Mar 2019 18:39:48 +0000

Samsung and Huawei are putting a lot of efforts on foldable phones since they believe these handsets represents the future of mobile devices. People are every day in need of bigger displays and a smartphone which can transform into a tablet could be the best for a lot of users. But BlackBerry CEO John Chen does not share the same opinion. According to Chen, besides carrying a very high price, these devices are too bulky.

He wouldn’t let anyone outside of lab testing at its company buy a foldable phone. And according to him, there are no breakthroughs on the horizon after fingerprint readers, facial recognition and iris scanners. Only time will tell us if the BlackBerry CEO is right or not: after all, foldable phones are still not on the shelves.

Read More: Samsung working on two new foldable phones, one featuring Mate X-esque design

The first foldable phone to hit the global market will be the Samsung Galaxy Fold and it will probably be available starting from May, with a starting price tag of about $2,000. After that, in summer, Huawei Mate X with a totally different concept (the foldable screen is placed externally) will hit the market as well. According to reports, Samsung is even working on two more foldables.

(source)

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Blackberry sues Twitter, accuses it of patent infringement

Jed John Ikoba — Fri, 01 Mar 2019 09:41:34 +0000

Most of us will definitely remember the era when BlackBerry held sway and everyone wants to own a Blackberry smartphone. All that changed with the advent of Android phones and the fluidity it brought in terms of user interface. Well, Blackberry still controls a lot of patents to date and even though the company is out contention in the industry, it holds a number of patents. Blackberry has accused Twitter of infringing on six of its patents.

Both companies are locked in a legal tussle, instituted by Blackberry which accused Twitter of infringing on some of its patents covering things like push notifications, silencing notifications for a message thread and mobile advertising techniques. In the suit, the Canadian company which referred to itself as a pioneer in mobile messaging, alleged that Twitter “created mobile messaging applications that co-opt BlackBerry’s innovations, using a number of the innovative user interface and functionality enhancing features that made BlackBerry’s products such a critical and commercial success in the first place.”

This lawsuit is similar to the one Blackberry filed against Facebook last year. In the case of Facebook, BlackBerry cited seven patents that relate to security, user interface features, battery-efficient status updates, mobile messaging in games and, similarly to its issue with Twitter, silencing notifications. Facebook was later to file a countersuit where it alleged that Blackberry infringed on five of its patents. The two suits are still in litigation and so, we don’t expect a resolution to emerge from this new suit anytime soon.

(source)

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BlackBerry KEY2 to get new red variant in Europe

Habeeb Onawole — Sat, 09 Feb 2019 13:35:16 +0000

The BlackBerry KEY2 launched in June 2018. It was announced in two color variants – Black and Silver but it has been reported that it will get a red variant soon just like that of the KEY2 LE‘s Atomic Red.

The info comes from Mysmartprice and they say the new color variant is set to launch in Europe. It may launch in other countries too but there is no confirmation yet. Just like the BlackBerry KEY2 LE, the red KEY2 will have a red frame and red accents for the keyboard.

The KEY2 may be nearly due for a successor but if you are looking for an Android phone with a physical QWERTY keyboard, this is probably the best option even though it is pricey.

The BlackBerry KEY2 has a 4.5-inch 1620 x 1080 display, a Snapdragon 660 processor, 6GB of RAM and up to 128GB of storage. There are dual 12MP sensors on its back and an 8MP camera in front for selfies. The space key doubles as a fingerprint scanner and there is a 3,500mAh battery under the hood with support for Quick Charge 3.0. It runs Android Oreo out of the box and there is still no news of an update to Android Pie yet.

(Source)

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BlackBerry ‘Adula’ smartphone running Android 9 Pie may be in the works

Jeet — Tue, 29 Jan 2019 06:31:50 +0000

BlackBerry is reportedly working on a new smartphone — BlackBerry ‘Adula’. In the BlackBerry DTEK security application, some code was found related to the company’s upcoming smartphone, which is being referred by the company as ‘Adula’.

BlackBerry KEY2 LE Smartphone

There are several companies holding a license for making BlackBerry smartphones, which includes TCL, Optiemus and BB Merah Putih and this upcoming new handset could be from any one of them. However, there’s a possibility that the phone could be coming from Optiemus, which launched the Evolve and Evolve X smartphones in India.

The Editor-in-Chief for the CrackBerry forums adds that the device may not be a new one and instead belonging to someone in the location called Adula. Another forum member pointed out that this could be the long-rumored smartphone with the code name ‘Aurora 2’. The report also notes that ‘Aurora 2’ may be running a “special BBM Emtek” along with “preloaded bloatware including the in-app optional packs”.

According to the report, it is likely that the device may come with Android 9 Pie operating system out-of-the-box. Rumors about this device come months after the company launched its BlackBerry Key2 LE. Currently, there’s no clarity about when the company is planning to launch the new device.

Since this new information comes weeks before the Mobile World Congress 2019 in Barcelona, there’s a possibility that the device could be unveiled and showcased during MWC 2019 which kicks-off from 25th February in Barcelona, Spain.

(Source)

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BlackBerry KEY2 LE with Snapdragon 636, 4 GB of RAM lands in India for Rs. 29,990 pricing

Anvinraj Valiyathara — Mon, 08 Oct 2018 20:06:48 +0000

TCL had introduced the BlackBerry KEY2 LE smartphone at IFA 2018 in August. The same smartphone has been brought to India through Optiemus Infracom which builds and distributed phones with BlackBerry branding. Amazon India will be exclusively selling the smartphone in the country starting from Oct. 12 with a price tag of Rs. 29,990 (~$406).

The BlackBerry KEY2 LE will be available in India in a single color edition of Space Blue. The USP of the phone is its full-sized QWERTY keyboard that comes with fingerprint scanner enabled space bar and a Speed Key that can be used in combination with other keys on the keyboard for launching different apps and functions. It is also packed with various security features such BlackBerry Locker, Password Keeper, Privacy Shade, BlackBerry Hub and DTEK security manager.

The KEY2 LE features a 4.5-inch IPS LCD screen that delivers FHD+ resolution of 1620 x 1080 pixels and an aspect ratio of 3:2. The screen is protected by 2.5D curved glass. The handset is loaded with Android 8.1 Oreo and it allows users to launch dual instances of certain apps like Facebook and Instagram for accessing different accounts.

The Snapdragon 636 and 4 GB of RAM are present under the hood of the BlackBerry KEY2 LE. It has an inbuilt storage of 64 GB. It is packed with a 3,000mAh battery. For photography, the KEY2 LE is equipped with 13-megapixel + 5-megapixel dual camera system on its rear shell. At the front is an 8-megapixel camera for shooting selfies. The handset features a polycarbonate chassis with a textured pattern on its rear.

Read More: BlackBerry Evolve to go on sale in India from October 10 for Rs. 24,990 ($340)

Apart from BlackBerry KEY2 LE, Optiemus Infracom is also selling BlackBerry Evolve smartphone in India. The handset is available in the country with a pricing of Rs. 24,990 through Amazon India.

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BlackBerry Evolve to go on sale in India from October 10 for Rs. 24,990 ($340)

Jeet — Wed, 03 Oct 2018 17:21:33 +0000

A couple of months ago, in August, Optiemus launched BlackBerry Evolve and BlackBerry EvolveX in the Indian market. While the EvolveX went on sale by the end of August, the Evolve was scheduled to be available in India from September.

However, after a slight delay, the company has announced that the BlackBerry Evolve will go on sale in India from 10th October. It’ll be available for purchase exclusively through Amazon for a price of Rs. 24,990, which roughly converts to $340.

To remind you of the phone’s specs, it comes with a 5.99-inch Full HD+ display with 18:9 aspect ratio and Gorilla Glass 5 protection. Under the hood, it is powered by Qualcomm‘s Snapdragon 450 octa-core processor clocked at 1.8GHz, along with Adreno 506 GPU.

It packs 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage, with support for expandable storage of up to 2TB. In terms of optics, there’s a 13MP + 13MP dual cameras at the back with dual tone LED flash. On the front side, it comes equipped with a 16MP snapper for taking selfies and video calling.

Connectivity options on the device include 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 ac (2.4GHz/5GHz), Bluetooth 5 LE, GPS + GLONASS, USB 2.0 Type-C, and USB OTG. It also features a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor for added security.

The phone runs Android 8.1 Oreo mobile operating system out-of-the-box and is powered by a 4,000mAh battery with support for Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 3.0 fast charging technology.

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BlackBerry KEY2 LE pre-order goes live in the UK and Netherlands few hours after launch!

Jed John Ikoba — Fri, 31 Aug 2018 00:46:27 +0000

The BlackBerry KEY2 LE was officially released a couple of hours ago but two different retailers in UK and Netherlands have already placed the device on preorder for those who have been patiently waiting for it to come. The UK retailer Unlocked-Mobiles has placed the KEY2 LE Black 32GB model on pre-order for £349 and has also indicated that the device would ship on September 10. While in the Netherlands, the retailer Belsimpel has also placed the device for pre-order with a price tag of €429 and is expected to ship in two weeks time.

The Blackberry KEY2 LE is coming out as a trimmed down version of the KEY2 which made its entrance a few months back. The KEY2 LE is powered by a Snapdragon 636 processor which is actually a great mid-range processor. The processor is paired with 4GB of RAM while there are two versions with 32GB and 64GB of storage respectively. The KEY2 LE also packs dual rear cameras but it is a 13MP+5MP combo and not 12MP + 12MP like the Key2. The front-facing camera has not been changed, so you get an 8MP selfie snapper. The phone has Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, a USB Type-C port and an audio jack for connectivity. It has a smaller 3,000mAh battery that TCL claims should last up to 22 hours on a single charge. It also runs Android 8.1 Oreo and will get updated to Android Pie but there is no timeframe yet.

The smartphone is expected to be launched in the U.S for $449 in the US while in Canada it will cost CAD 579. The rest of Europe will be able to buy the KEY2 LE for €429.

(via)

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BlackBerry KEY2 LE: A cheaper and less powerful KEY2, starts at $399

Habeeb Onawole — Thu, 30 Aug 2018 16:49:57 +0000

The BlackBerry KEY2 is a nice phone with its upper mid-range specs and physical keyboard but it sells for the price of a flagship. So TCL decided to release a cheaper version with less powerful specs and named it the BlackBerry KEY2 LE. It unveiled it at IFA today.

BlackBerry KEY2 LE Design

The Blackberry KEY2 LE comes with the same 4.5-inch screen as the KEY2 and even retains the 1620 x 1080 resolution. So if you compare both devices, sharpness and overall screen quality should be the same.

Below the screen is a full QWERTY keyboard with a space bar that doubles as a fingerprint scanner. Do note that the KEY2 LE’s keyboard doesn’t function as a trackpad. It has a textured back but the pattern is different. However, it has a polycarbonate frame instead of a metal frame like the KEY2. Early reviews say even with the polycarbonate build, the KEY 2 LE feels well-made.

BlackBerry KEY2 LE Specs

The KEY2 LE has a Snapdragon 636 processor which is actually a great mid-range processor. There is 4GB of RAM and 32GB or 64GB of storage. It comes with dual rear cameras but it is a 13MP+5MP combo and not 12MP + 12MP like the KEY2. The front-facing camera has not been changed, so you get an 8MP selfie snapper.

The phone has Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, a USB Type-C port and an audio jack for connectivity. It has a smaller 3,000mAh battery that TCL claims should last up to 22 hours on a single charge. It also runs Android 8.1 Oreo and will get updated to Android Pie but there is no timeframe yet.

The KEY2 LE may come with less-powerful specs but it doesn’t skimp on any of BlackBerry’s apps and security features such as the DTEK security manager, Privacy Shade tool, redactor Blackberry Hub, BBM, and BlackBerry Locker etc.

KEY2 LE Price

All those scraping off means the KEY2 LE gets a cheaper price tag and it is a significant cut when compared to the $649 launch price of the KEY2. The phone is priced at $399/€399/£349 for the 32GB version and $449/€429/£399 for the 64GB variant. It is available in Atomic (red), Slate (black), and Champagne (gold) color variants. There is no info on when it will hit the market. BlackBerry also released two official cases for the phone. One is a flip case and the other is a soft shell but both are NFC-friendly.

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BlackBerry KEY2 LE debuting at IFA 2018 on August 30

Michele Ingelido — Sun, 26 Aug 2018 15:01:43 +0000

Despite physical keyboard having totally disappeared in the phones market due to the big touchscreen displays, BlackBerry is still releasing devices with physical QWERTY keyboards. After launching the new KEY2 with upper-midrange specs, the Canadian company acquired by TCL will soon announce its more affordable Lite version: BlackBerry KEY2 LE. Today, BB’s official account on Twitter has posted a teaser video which confirms that the handset will officially debut at IFA 2018, on August 30.

Just like its older sibling, BlackBerry KEY2 LE will be equipped with a physical QWERTY keyboard with a space bar doubling as a fingerprint reader. It is expected to come with an unusual 4.5-inch display (due to the presence of the keyboard) with an “almost” Full HD resolution of 1080 x 1620 pixels.

Almost time for a new introduction. #IFA18 pic.twitter.com/9KPX5GrgvY

— BlackBerry Mobile (@BBMobile) August 24, 2018

On the hardware side, there will be an octa-core Snapdragon 636 chipset running at a max clock frequency of 1.8 GHz, supported by 4 GB of RAM and 32 or 64 GB of internal storage depending on the chosen variant. The rear plastic back should house a dual camera configuration with resolutions of 13 and 5 MP, while the front camera should be a 5 MP snapper. At last, the battery will have a capacity of 3000 mAh. Excluding the keyboard, none of BlackBerry KEY2 LE alleged specs are impressive, so we hope at least that it will be sold at a reasonable price.

(via)

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New BlackBerry KEY2 LE render shows all its sides

Habeeb Onawole — Wed, 15 Aug 2018 11:37:52 +0000

The BlackBerry KEY2 LE is a less-powerful version of the KEY 2 released a few months ago. We want to believe TCL is releasing this model as a way to woo those who can’t afford the KEY 2. A new render of the KEY2 LE has been leaked online and it shows all the sides of the device.

The BlackBerry KEY2 LE has the same form factor as its more powerful sibling. There is a full QWERTY keyboard below the screen and there are dual cameras on the rear. The phone has the fingerprint scanner baked into the space key and also has the new Speed Key from the BlackBerry KEY 2.

The top of the phone is home to a 3.5mm audio jack and a secondary microphone while the bottom houses a USB-C port flanked by grilles which hide the speaker and the primary microphone.

Just like the KEY 2, there is a convenience key and it sits below the volume rocker and the textured power button. The SIM tray is on the left of the phone. The textured back of the phone has a different design but nevertheless, it should prevent the phone from sliding off smooth surfaces and provide a comfortable grip when holding it.

The BlackBerry KEY2 LE will come with a 4.5-inch screen, a Snapdragon 636 processor, 4GB of RAM and up to 64GB of storage. Its dual cameras are a 13MP sensor paired with a 5MP sensor. It will have a 3,000mAh battery and run Android 8.1 Oreo. TCL is expected to announce the phone at IFA Berlin on August 30.

(Source, Via)

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BlackBerry KEY2 LE could get launched on August 30 at IFA in Berlin

Jeet — Tue, 14 Aug 2018 14:39:09 +0000

TCL Communications has today sent out media invites for a launch event on 30th August at IFA, Berlin. While the company has not revealed what device it plans to announce at the launch event, it is likely to launch BlackBerry KEY2 LE.

Last week, the images of the KEY2 LE smartphone surfaced online, as well as the phone’s specifications have also leaked. It is expected to be available in four color options — Black, Red, Blue, and Copper.

The BlackBerry KEY2 LE will come with a 4.5-inch Full HD display with 1620 x 1080 pixels screen resolution, 443ppi pixel density, and 3:2 aspect ratio. The display is protected from minor scratches by a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass 3.

Under the hood, the device will be powered by Qualcomm‘s Snapdragon 636 octa-core processor clocked at 1.8GHz, coupled with Adreno 509 graphics processor. It’ll pack 4GB RAM and will have two options for onboard storage — 32GB and 64GB. There’ll be a microSD card, allowing users to further expand the phone’s storage capacity up to 2TB.

For photography, the phone features a 13-megapixel rear camera sensor with dual-tone LED flash and a 5-megapixel front-facing snapper. As with the BlackBerry’s usual design, the phone comes with a 4-row Physical QWERTY backlit keyboard with capacitive touch. There’s a fingerprint sensor embedded into the space bar for added security. However, it lacks the trackpad functionality that we saw KeyOne and Key2.

Connectivity options on the device include 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 ac (2.4 & 5 GHz), Bluetooth 5 LE, and GPS / GLONASS. The phone will be running Android 8.1 Oreo operating system out-of-the-box and will be fuelled by a 3,500mAh battery.

To know more about the BlackBerry KEY2 LE’s pricing and availability details, we’ll have to wait for the company to officially announce the phone at IFA in Berlin.

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BlackBerry KEY2 LE Specs leaked, packs less punch but still great

Habeeb Onawole — Sat, 11 Aug 2018 11:47:37 +0000

TCL is set to launch a new version of its BlackBerry KEY2 smartphone. The new version will cost less and launch as the BlackBerry KEY2 LE according to Roland Quandt. Now specs of the upcoming device have leaked online.

According to AndroidPolice, the BlackBerry KEY 2 LE will come with a Snapdragon 636 processor paired with 4GB of RAM. It will also come in 32GB ROM and 64GB ROM storage variants.

The processor is quite different from the Geekbench listing of the device which says it has a Snapdragon 660 processor. We’ll advise you keep your fingers crossed on this one.

As seen from leaked photos, the KEY 2 LE will have dual rear cameras but they will be less powerful. Instead of two 12MP sensors, they will be 13MP and 5MP sensors.

Even though the design of both the KEY 2 and KEY 2 LE appears the same, the latter is slightly smaller measuring 150.25 x 71.8 x 8.35 mm. It also weighs less at 156g. TCL has also cut the battery from 3500mAh to 3000mAh which is a pretty significant decrease. The phone will retain the display size and resolution of its more powerful sibling which is a 4.5-inch 1080 x 1620 screen.

AndroidPolice have also gotten their hands on a picture that shows both sides of the device. The QWERTY keyboard looks similar and it is said to house a fingerprint scanner under the spacebar key. However, it won’t have the trackpad functionality of the KEYone and KEY2 which is a bummer.

The BlackBerry KEY2 sells for $650 which is super pricey when compared to other flagship phones which have significantly better specs including cameras. But with the KEY2 LE, physical keyboard-lovers will obviously pay less.

(Source)

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BlackBerry Evolve, Evolve X go official with 18:9 displays, dual cameras and big batteries

Anvinraj Valiyathara — Thu, 02 Aug 2018 09:39:24 +0000

In the previous month, BlackBerry licensee Optiemus Infracom had launched the Snapdragon 660 powered BlackBerry KEY2 smartphone in India. Today, the country has received the BlackBerry Evolve and Evolve X handsets. These devices are the first 18:9 aspect ratio supporting smartphones from the company. Both the smartphones are packed with dual rear cameras and large-sized batteries. The company claims the Evolve and Evolve X are the most secure Android smartphones.

BlackBerry Evolve and Evolve X Specs and Features

The BlackBerry Evolve features IPS LCD display of 5.99 inches. The 18:9 aspect ratio display produces Full HD+ resolution of 2160 x 1080 pixels. The Evolve X also features the same display that supports 18:9 aspect ratio.

The Evolve smartphone is powered by Snapdragon 450 and 4 GB of RAM. On the other hand, the Evolve X is the second smartphone from the company after KEY2 to feature Snapdragon 660. The SoC is accompanied by 6 GB of RAM. Both the smartphones are packed with 64 GB of internal storage. For additional storage, users can make use of a microSD on these smartphones. BlackBerry has included 4,000mAh batteries on both smartphones. These phones are also enabled with support for Quick Charge 3.0. The wireless charging is only available on the Evolve X. The box package of the Evolve X includes a wireless charging adapter.

For photography, the BlackBerry Evolve is fitted with a dual-tone LED flash enabled vertical dual camera setup. It features f/2.0 aperture 13-megapixel RGB sensor and f/2.0 aperture 13-megapixel monochrome sensor. The dual cameras offer features such as 4x autofocus, slow-motion video shooting and refocus mode.

The vertical dual camera setup on the back panel of the Evolve X smartphone features an f/1.8 aperture 12-megapixel primary sensor with a pixel size of 1.4micron. It is assisted by an f/2.6 aperture 13-megapixel secondary sensor with a pixel size of 1micron.

Tetra Pixel technology and LED flash powered 16-megapixel camera with f/2.0 aperture and a field-of-view of 78 degrees is present on the frontside of the BlackBerry Evolve and Evolve X.

The BlackBerry Evolve are loaded with Android 8.1 Oreo. The company has included some of its propriety features on these smartphones such as DTEK security, BlackBerry Hub, BlackBerry Password Keeper for securing passwords, BlackBerry Privacy Shade that prevents others from viewing whats on the screen and BlackBerry Power Center that optimizes the battery life to last longer by examining the usage pattern.

The other features that are available on the BlackBerry Evolve and Evolve X smartphones are USB-C, 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, USB OTG and 3.5mm headphone slot. The backside of both the smartphones feature square-shaped fingerprint scanners. Also, the front cameras of Evolve duo function as face unlock.

BlackBerry Evolve and Evolve X Pricing

At first, the BlackBerry Evolve and Evolve X smartphones will be exclusively available through Amazon India. Later on, these handsets will be made through offline outlets. The BlackBerry Evolve is priced at Rs. 24,990 (~$365) and its sales is expected to begin by mid-September. On other side, the Evolve X carries a price tag of Rs. 34,990 (~$510) and its sales is expected to start later this month.

ICICI bank credit cards owners who purchase the Evolve or Evolve X through no cost EMI option will be provided with 5 percent cash back. Reliance Jio is offering cash benefits of Rs. 3,590 to the buyers of Evolve or Evolve X.

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BlackBerry schedules a launch event in India on August 2, could launch Evolve and Evolve X

Jeet — Mon, 30 Jul 2018 14:56:16 +0000

BlackBerry has sent out media invites for a launch event scheduled on August 8. While the company has not revealed which device it plans to introduce, reports suggest that the company could launch two smartphones — Evolve and Evolve X.

Recently, a BlackBerry smartphone codenamed “Ghost” surfaced online, featuring a bezel-less design. Later, it was reported that Optiemus will launch the smartphone in India in Q3 2018, but it will be offered in two models – Evolve and Evolve X.

Earlier, the phone’s image was surfaced online, revealing the metal frame, rounded corners, SIM card slot and antenna cutouts on the side and the bottom. Both the Evolve and the Evolve X are expected to come with full-screen 18:9 displays.

Under the hood, the devices will be powered by Qualcomm‘s powerful Snapdragon processors but the specific chipset model is not yet known. A few weeks ago, tipster Evan Blass revealed that the BlackBerry Ghost (i.e. BlackBerry Evolve) will pack a 4,000mAh battery.

The Evolve-series is expected to be a premium one as reports suggest that the smartphone will come with a dual rear camera setup with optical zoom and some custom enhancements for the low-light photography using the rear dual-cameras.

While no more information is available regarding BlackBerry’s two upcoming smartphones in the Indian market, we’ll know what the company has to offer when the devices launch on 8th August.

Last week, BlackBerry officially launched its KEY2 smartphone in the Indian market for Rs. 42,990 that roughly converts to $626. It features a 4.5-inch display with 433PPI, 3:2 aspect ratio, and Gorilla Glass 3. There’s a 4-row QWERTY physical backlit keyboard with a fingerprint sensor embedded in the spacebar.

It is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 660 octa-core processor along with Adreno 512 GPU, 6GB RAM and packs 64GB/128GB storage. There’s a dual camera setup on the back with a 12MP primary sensor and a 12MP secondary sensor. On the front side, there’s an 8MP shooter front-facing camera. It runs Android 8.1 Oreo and is powered by a 3,360mAh battery.

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BlackBerry KEY² with SD 660 SoC and QWERTY keyboard launched in India for Rs. 42,990 ($626)

Jeet — Mon, 23 Jul 2018 06:40:43 +0000

BlackBerry KEY², the latest smartphone from the company, which was launched last month, has now finally launched in India. The smartphone is priced at Rs. 42,990, which roughly converts to $626 and will be available in Black color only.

It will be available for purchase in India through Amazon.in from 31st July. The company is also offering some offers, including Reliance Jio cashback of Rs. 4,450 (approximately $65) and ICICI bank cash back offer of 5 percent along with a few other benefits.

The smartphone comes with a 4.5-inch display with 1620 x 1080 pixels screen resolution, 433PPI and 3:2 aspect ratio and Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection on top. It also has a 4-row QWERTY physical backlit keyboard with keys that respond to touch gestures.

It has support for flick typing and up to 52 customizable shortcuts. Compared to its predecessor, the keys are about 20 percent bigger with the same footprint. There’s also a new dedicated key called “Speed Key” that enables users to launch apps. Just like its predecessor, the fingerprint sensor is embedded into the spacebar key.

Under the hood, the phone is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 660 octa-core processor along with Adreno 512 GPU and 6GB RAM. There are two options for internal storage — 64GB and 128GB with microSD card that supports expandable storage up to 2TB.

As for the photography, there’s a dual camera setup on the back with a 12-megapixel primary sensor, f/1.8 aperture, 79.3-degree wide-angle lens, dual phase detection autofocus, and a 12-megapixel secondary sensor with f/2.6 aperture and 50-degree lens. On the front side, there’s an 8-megapixel front-facing camera.

The BlackBerry KEY² runs on Android 8.1 Oreo operating system out-of-the-box. Connectivity options on the device include 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n/ac (2.4 & 5 GHz), Bluetooth 5 LE, GPS / GLONASS, NFC, and USB 3.0 Type-C. The phone is powered by a 3,360mAh battery with Quick Charge 3.0 fast charging support.

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TCL may launch a BlackBerry KEY² Lite soon

Habeeb Onawole — Thu, 19 Jul 2018 13:18:56 +0000

So far, the BlackBerry KEY² is the only BlackBerry phone that has been released this year. India’s Optiemus is expected to announce two new BlackBerry phones with 18:9 displays called the Evolve and Evolve X but there is no launch date yet. However, we may be getting yet another phone soon codenamed “Luna” but which may launch as the BlackBerry KEY² Lite.

The info comes from Evan Blass (@evleaks). In a tweet posted yesterday, he revealed the rear of a device with a similar form factor as the BlackBerry KEY². It has dual cameras and a LED flash beside the setup. However, the pattern of the plastic back is different and it also has a red frame. Its buttons are on the same side and also arranged the same way as the KEY².

According to Evan Blass, the device is allegedly known as the “BlackBerry Luna a.k.a. the KEY2 Lite”. He didn’t mention any specs but added in a follow-up tweet that the phone is expected to launch in late August/early September or maybe even at IFA.

Alleged BlackBerry Luna, a.k.a. the "KEY2 Lite" (Lite and not Mini 'cuz they supposedly have the same form factor). Said/shown to come in red, blue, and copper. pic.twitter.com/fMza9pAAZC

— Evan Blass (@evleaks) July 18, 2018

This isn’t the first time we have seen the name “Luna” associated with BlackBerry. Earlier this year, it surfaced alongside the codenames “Athena” and “Uni”. However, not much about the device was revealed then except that it would have a physical keyboard like the Athena. The Athena later launched as the BlackBerry KEY².

The KEY² comes with a Snapdragon 660 processor with 6GB of RAM and 64GB/128GB of storage. It also has a starting price of $649. The KEY² Lite is expected to come with a less powerful processor which may be a Snapdragon 625 processor like the original KEYone. This info is based on a Geekbench listing that surfaced back in May.

While the processor may be disappointing, new features such as dual cameras and a more recent software and a low-price tag may help it succeed.

(Source)

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BlackBerry Ghost and Ghost Pro will launch as BlackBerry Evolve and BlackBerry Evolve X respectively

Habeeb Onawole — Wed, 18 Jul 2018 10:13:20 +0000

BlackBerry’s Indian licensee Optiemus is expected to launch two new phones this year. Ever since news of the two devices surfaced, they have been referred to as the BlackBerry Ghost and Ghost Pro. Apparently, those are their codenames and a new leak has revealed their official names.

The Blackberry Ghost will launch as the BlackBerry Evolve

The leak comes from Evan Blass who first informed us about the existence of both phones months ago. According to a tweet from him yesterday, the BlackBerry Ghost will launch as the BlackBerry Evolve and the Ghost Pro will launch as the BlackBerry Evolve X.

Apparently the Ghost and Ghost Pro from India's Optiemus are coming to market as the BlackBerry Evolve and Evolve X.

— Evan Blass (@evleaks) July 17, 2018

Both the Evolve and the Evolve X are expected to come with 18:9 displays and powerful Snapdragon processors. A few weeks ago, Evan Blass also revealed the Ghost (Evolve) will pack a 4000mAh battery. The rest of the specs are still unknown and so is a release date.

Nevertheless, we hope more info about both phones surfaces in coming weeks. At the moment, the BlackBerry KEY² made by China’s TCL is still the most recent and most powerful BlackBerry phone on the market. But not everyone wants a phone with a QWERTY keyboard, so the Evolve and Evolve X will surely find its BlackBerry fans.

(Source)

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BlackBerry KEY² gets updated in China, brings July’s security patch

Habeeb Onawole — Fri, 13 Jul 2018 12:04:16 +0000

The BlackBerry KEY² was launched in China a little over a month ago. It has now received its first update which brings some optimizations as well as the latest security patch.

According to a translation of the changelog, the update brings July’s security patch and optimizes the voice assistant, camera, and information displayed in the status bar. It also fixes a compatibility issue experienced by Beijing bus card users. There are other bug fixes mentioned in the complete changelog.

The update is 513MB in size and should be hitting devices over the next few days. There is no info yet as to when the update will be arriving outside China.

The BlackBerry KEY² comes with a 4.5-inch 1620 x 1080 display, a Snapdragon 660 processor and 6GB of RAM. It also has 64GB or 128Gb of storage depending on the variant you buy.

The KEY² is also the first BlackBerry to have dual rear cameras – two 12MP sensors with the secondary camera being a telephoto lens with 2X optical zoom. The selfie camera is an 8MP f/2.0 sensor.

Other features include a 3500mAh battery, a USB-C port, Bluetooth 5.0, a fingerprint scanner, FM radio, NFC and dual-band WiFi.

(Via)

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BlackBerry Ghost to be a Flagship with 4000mAh Battery

Michele Ingelido — Fri, 06 Jul 2018 03:15:15 +0000

Ever since TCL acquired BlackBerry, it has never really launched a true flagship smartphone. The first one should be BlackBerry Ghost alongside its Pro variant, and the last year, there have been a consistent amount of rumors and leaks about it. Today Evan Blass, one of the most famous and reliable leaksters, has revealed new juicy details about the upcoming device which, unlike the latest BB phone KeyONE, will not sport a physical QWERTY keyboard. According to Evan Blass, Ghost will be a flagship-class device with a large 4000 mAh battery.

It is the biggest capacity you can actually find on a flagship and it is a big added value which may attract people to get a unit. Note that it would even be the biggest capacity ever seen on a BB phone. Given that BlackBerry Ghost will probably feature a Snapdragon SoC by Qualcomm, we also expect to see a great efficiency and a low energy consumption. Sadly, these are the only details revealed by Evan Blass today, but the official announcement of the device is expected to come soon, so we will not have to wait so much to know everything about it.

From what the latest reports suggested, BlackBerry Ghost will be the first BB phone to have a display with an 18:9 aspect ratio. So, it is likely to have narrow bezels. According to a leaked render it will sport a metal frame with a volume keys and a power key on the right side, while on the bottom front part of the front panel there will be the company branding. This phone is expected to have a much better camera over its predecessors. Indeed, there should be a dual camera setup on the rear side which will be able to shoot detailed photos even in low-light conditions, and it may also support optical zoom.

(via)

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Blackberry Updates Its DTEK App With A Refreshed UI and Other New Features

Jed John Ikoba — Fri, 22 Jun 2018 11:25:44 +0000

Blackberry has updated its DTEK security app with a refreshed UI and a couple of new features. The DTEK app was ushered in at the same time the company began its Android journey by launching the first Android-powered Blackberry phone – the Blackberry Priv.

The DTEK app brings additional security to your smartphone by measuring how secure your BlackBerry handset is in terms of the passwords you’re using. The app also alerts users of the apps that have access to the phone’s camera, microphone, location, and personal information. DTEK security app will equally let you know where your phone’s weakest link is and suggests measures that will fortify the security of the phone.

The new update comes with a new user interface that looks somewhat like a refresh of the former UI. Other new features which accompany the new update includes;

New home screen prioritizes the most important information, so you can quickly identify and address important issues.
Automatic weekly scan.
Manual scan option.
Classify permissions as containing more sensitive information. DTEK defaults to have Camera, Mic, and Phone as sensitive.
Instant notifications when apps access your sensitive permissions while not in active use.

For those who own Android-powered Blackberry phones, you can check if the update is available for your model by opening the Google Play Store app and tapping the hamburger menu on the left side of the search bar. From there, tap on My apps & games and look for a pending update for DTEK by BlackBerry. You’ll then need to tap on “Update” if the update button is available.

(source)

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