What are the pros of BlackBerry KEY2 — Physical QWERTY Keyboard Smartphone Review?

Exceptional tactile physical QWERTY keyboard with gesture touch support , Convenient Speed Key shortcuts for instant app switching , Industry-leading DTEK enterprise security suite , Sturdy series-7000 aluminum frame with excellent textured grip , Great battery longevity

What are the cons of BlackBerry KEY2 — Physical QWERTY Keyboard Smartphone Review?

Mid-range Snapdragon 660 processor at a premium price point , Discontinued software support updates , Compact 3:2 screen ratio is less ideal for modern widescreen video playback

Primary

BlackBerry Editor's Choice 2018

KEY2

Q: How much does BlackBerry KEY2 — Physical QWERTY Keyboard Smartphone Review cost?

The BlackBerry KEY2 — Physical QWERTY Keyboard Smartphone Review is priced at $649 – $699.

BlackBerry KEY2 — Physical QWERTY Keyboard Smartphone Review

Display 1080 x 1620 pixels 3:2 ratio (~434 ppi)

Camera 1080p at 30fps

Performance Qualcomm SDM660 Snapdragon 660 (...

Battery Quick Charge 3.0 fast charging 1...

Expert Score

4.2

88% Confidence

Community Score

3.6

0% Confidence

AI Score

4.3

87% Confidence

Final Score

4.1

87% Confidence

Storage

RAM

Color

Regional

In Stock

$649 – $699

Lowest $450 Best: Amazon

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Category Scores

Overall hardware score: 86/100 — unmatched physical keyboard typing experience and top-tier security suite, offset by mid-range performance.

Performance Great

Snapdragon 660 processor handles everyday messag...

Display Great

Sharp 4.5-inch 3:2 IPS display optimized for tex...

Camera Great

Dual 12MP rear cameras provide dependable everyd...

Battery Excellent

3500 mAh battery delivers exceptional endurance...

Gaming Good

Adreno 512 GPU is suited for casual titles, not...

AI Good

Standard processing for system routines and DTEK...

Security Excellent

Industry-leading BlackBerry DTEK security suite...

Value for Money Great

Unique market offering for physical keyboard ent...

Design Excellent

Series-7000 aluminum frame with a diamond-patter...

Repairability Good

Standard repair structure for traditional candy-...

Software Support Good

Upgraded up to Android 9.0 Pie with regular secu...

Connectivity Great

4G LTE, Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, and FM radi...

Audio Great

Clear mono loudspeaker output and a 3.5mm headph...

Durability Great

Sturdy aluminum chassis and textured rear grip p...

Charging Great

Quick Charge 3.0 fast charging support via USB-C...

Specifications

Display 4

Size 4.5 inches

Type IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors

Resolution 1080 x 1620 pixels, 3:2 ratio (~434 ppi)

Protection Corning Gorilla Glass 3

Keyboard 1

Type Touch-sensitive QWERTY keyboard with integrated fingerprint sensor in space bar and Speed Key

Processor 3

Chipset Key Qualcomm SDM660 Snapdragon 660 (14 nm)

CPU Octa-core (4x2.2 GHz Kryo 260 Gold & 4x1.8 GHz Kryo 260 Silver)

GPU Key Adreno 512

Memory 2

RAM Key 6GB

Type LPDDR4X

Storage 3

Internal 64GB / 128GB

Expandable microSDXC up to 256GB (uses shared SIM slot)

Standard eMMC 5.1

Battery 2

Capacity 3500 mAh non-removable

Wired charging Quick Charge 3.0 fast charging 18W

Camera 2

Main 1 12 MP, f/1.8, 1/2.55", 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF

Main 2 12 MP, f/2.6, 1/3.4", 1.0µm, PDAF, 2x optical zoom

Front Camera 2

Sensor 8 MP, 1/4", 1.12µm

Video 1080p at 30fps

Video 1

Max resolution 4K at 30fps, 1080p at 30/60fps

Connectivity 4

Network 4G LTE, HSPA, GSM

Wi-Fi Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band

Bluetooth 5.0, A2DP, LE, EDR

USB USB Type-C 2.0, USB On-The-Go

Sensors 1

Fingerprint Front-mounted (integrated into space bar)

Dimensions 3

Height 151.4 mm

Width 71.8 mm

Depth 8.5 mm

Weight 1

Weight 168 g

Materials 2

Frame Key Series-7000 aluminum frame

Back Textured diamond-pattern soft-touch back

Colors 1

Options Black, Silver

Operating System 1

OS Android 8.1 Oreo, upgradable to Android 9.0 Pie

Expert Review

By Dickens, Charles

Design

The BlackBerry KEY2 features a robust series-7000 aluminum frame, a diamond-pattern soft-touch back panel, and a redesigned matte physical keyboard with taller keys for improved typing feedback.

Display

It utilizes a 4.5-inch IPS LCD display with a 3:2 aspect ratio (1620 x 1080 pixels), protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 3.

Performance

Equipped with a Snapdragon 660 processor and 6GB RAM, offering stable execution for messaging, emailing, and productivity tasks.

Gaming

Adreno 512 graphics manage standard arcade and casual games efficiently.

Camera

Includes a dual 12MP rear camera system supporting portrait mode and optical zoom, alongside an 8MP front-facing camera.

Battery

The 3500 mAh battery easily lasts a full working day and well into a second day due to the conservative screen size and efficient chip.

Software

Runs Android with BlackBerry's signature productivity hub, DTEK security monitoring, and customizable keyboard shortcuts via the Speed Key.

Ai

Basic predictive text and intelligent battery learning algorithms optimize day-to-day operations.

Connectivity

Features 4G LTE, dual-band Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, GPS, and a 3.5mm headphone jack.

Pros

Exceptional tactile physical QWERTY keyboard with gesture touch support
Convenient Speed Key shortcuts for instant app switching
Industry-leading DTEK enterprise security suite
Sturdy series-7000 aluminum frame with excellent textured grip
Great battery longevity

Cons

Mid-range Snapdragon 660 processor at a premium price point
Discontinued software support updates
Compact 3:2 screen ratio is less ideal for modern widescreen video playback

The BlackBerry KEY2 is the ultimate physical keyboard smartphone, combining a touch-sensitive QWERTY keypad with a 4.5-inch IPS display. Powered by the Snapdragon 660 processor, it is tailored for secure messaging, reliable productivity, and streamlined shortcuts.

Verdict

The BlackBerry KEY2 remains the pinnacle of physical QWERTY smartphone engineering.

Final: 4.1/10 Best for: General users Segment: Premium

Product Intelligence

Tactile Physical QWERTY Keyboard with Speed Key Touch-Sensitive Keyboard Gesture Scrolling Series-7000 Aluminum Frame with Textured Grip BlackBerry DTEK Security Suite Outstanding Battery Endurance