BlackBerry Smartphone in 2019? S01E47 - It's year 2019 and perhaps the younger generation has already forgotten the BlackBerry brand. During its heyday, BlackBerry smartphones were commonplace and literally none of its competitors stood a chance in terms of technology. Is it still worth it to use or own a BlackBerry smartphone nowadays? Let's find out!
In Dubai, BlackBerry showed us what a full-touchscreen version of the KEYone would look like through the BlackBerry Motion. Made with an aluminum frame and soft touch materials on the back, you'd be forgiven should you mistake it for a KEYone. Manufactured by TCL, the Motion carries the largest battery ever used in a BlackBerry handset - 4,000 mAh to be exact. Not only that, the Motion is also the first BlackBerry handset to feature water and dust resistance (IP67 certified). That means it can be submerged in up to 1 meter of water for 30 minutes. So what else does it offer?
Image by BlackBerry
The BlackBerry Motion packs a 5.5-inch anti-scratch IPS LCD of 1080p Full HD resolution. Under the hood, we find a very efficient octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 chipset with 4GB RAM and 32GB of expandable storage. It runs Android 7.1 Nougat out of the box but will get Android 8.0 Oreo in 2018. Thanks to Quick Charge 3.0, its humongous 4,000 mAh battery will charge to 50% in just 40 minutes. The Motion also has a fingerprint scanner embedded in the home button. Being a Blackberry, the Motion is also big when it comes to security. It has a Locker Mode that will enable users to set their files and photos in private using a PIN or a fingerprint. Moreover, the BlackBerry Convenience Key on the side can now be customized with four profiles: Home, Car, Office, and Hub.
When it comes to photography, the Motion sports a 12-MP primary camera with an f/2.0 aperture, phase detection auto-focus, and dual-tone, dual-LED flash. However, video capture maxes out at 1080p Full HD. There's also an 8-MP selfie camera on board. The BlackBerry Motion will become available in the UAE and Saudi Arabia soon and will roll out to select global markets later this month. It is expected to cost around $499.
Days after the KEYone's announcement, BB Merah Putih in Indonesia unveiled the Aurora. BB Merah Putih holds the license for making, marketing, and selling BlackBerry-branded smartphones in Indonesia. A midrange handset, the BlackBerry Aurora comes with a 5.5-inch display of 720p HD resolution. Ticking inside is a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 chipset with a whopping 4GB RAM and 32GB of expandable storage. It runs Android 7.0 Nougat out of the box, complete with the DTEK app, BBM, and the BlackBerry Hub.
Image by BlackBerry
The Aurora is billed as the first BlackBerry device to support dual-SIM functionality, in addition to LTE. It has a 13-MP primary camera with electronic aperture control and an LED flash. It also has an 8-MP selfie shooter. Measuring 152 mm x 76.8 mm x 8.5 mm, the smartphone weighs 178 grams. A 3,000 mAh battery will power the device. It will come in black, silver, and gold color variants. Retailing for $260, which is limited to Indonesia, the BlackBerry Aurora will ship with a free JBL Go Speaker and a flip case.
BlackBerry is back with a new smartphone called KEYone after the Priv and a couple of DTEKs. However, this time around it is TCL producing hardware for the Canadian company. Marketed as "the most secure Android device," the BlackBerry KEYone brings together security, a physical QWERTY keyboard, and Android 7.1 Nougat.
Image by BlackBerry/TCL
To start, the KEYone is clad in an anodized aluminum frame with a soft touch panel at the back. It packs a 4.5-inch IPS LCD of 1080p Full HD resolution with 3:2 aspect ratio, protected by Gorilla Glass 4. It is powered by an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 chipset with Adreno 605 GPU, 3GB RAM, and 32GB of expandable storage. As previously mentioned, it runs Android 7.1 Nougat instead of the BlackBerry OS. Among its software features are the BlackBerry Hub, which brings all your messages, emails
and social media accounts in one app and the DTEK security app, which offers constant software monitoring and
protection.
Image by BlackBerry/TCL
When it comes to photography, the KEYone sports a 12-MP main camera, using Sony's IMX378 sensor, with 1.55 micron pixels, an f/2.0 aperture, phase-detection auto-focus, dual-tone, dual-LED flash, and 4K video capture. There's also an 8-MP secondary camera with an 84-degree lens. Connectivity-wise, the KEYone supports Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, and LTE. It also has a fingerprint scanner embedded in the space bar. Speaking of keyboard, the KEYone's keyboard is back-lit and responds to touch gestures. It also supports flick typing and its individual keys can be used as customizable shortcuts (up to 52 of them). Everything will powered by a large 3,505 mAh battery, which is the largest battery ever in a BlackBerry smartphone. It supports Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0, which charges the phone to 50% in just 36 minutes. The BlackBerry KEYone will go on sale in April 2017 and will retail for $549. Interested?
The often leaked Android-running BlackBerry smartphone is finally official. Meet the BlackBerry DTEK50 - it is a midrange device, marketed by BlackBerry as the world's most secure Android smartphone. It's quite ironic as this is the second BlackBerry Android smartphone, following the Priv last year. Does this mean that the BlackBerry Priv is not as secure? Anyway, the BlackBerry DTEK50 got its name from the DTEK by BlackBerry app. The handset basically encrypts all user information, and through the app, users will know when their privacy is at risk and they can take action on it. The DTEK app also tracks other apps, app permissions, and more.
Image by BlackBerry
Interestingly, the BlackBerry DTEK50 is a rebranded Alcatel Idol 4, not an original design by the Canadian company. It comes with a 5.2-inch display of 1080p Full HD resolution. Under the hood is an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 617 chipset with 3GB RAM and 16GB of expandable internal storage. In terms of photography, the DTEK50 packs a 13-MP rear camera with phase detection auto-focus and LED flash, and in front is an 8-MP selfie camera. Connectivity-wise, the phone supports LTE, and Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0 through its 2,610 mAh non-removable battery. The only difference it has with the Alcatel smartphone is the addition of the Convenience Key on the right side of the device, which lets you access frequently used apps and tasks. The DTEK50 runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow out of the box.
In case you're wondering how much it would cost, well BlackBerry plans to sell the DTEK50 for $299. That comes with a BlackBerry MP-12600 Mobile Power Bank and BlackBerry's secure ecosystem. Shipping starts as early as August 8, 2016. Any takers?
The BlackBerry PRIV is now official. It is the BlackBerry's first Android-powered smartphone and it comes with several powerful features. The PRIV packs a 5.4-inch dual-curved OLED screen of Quad HD resolution, protected by Gorilla Glass 4. It has a screen pixel density of 540 ppi. It measures just 9.4 mm, even with the company's signature slide out physical QWERTY keyboard taken into consideration. However, it is quite heavy at 192 grams.
Image by BlackBerry
Powering the BlackBerry PRIV is the 64-bit hexa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 chipset with Adreno 418 GPU, 3GB RAM, and 32GB of expandable internal storage. In terms of software, the PRIV runs Android Lollipop out of the box with some nifty BlackBerry software customizations. These include the BlackBerry HUB (unified inbox), BlackBerry Calendar, and DTEK by BlackBerry for Android. The latter lets you know when your privacy could be at risk for you to take action on it.
Image by BlackBerry
Imaging-wise, the PRIV is equipped with an 18-MP Schneider Kreuznach primary camera with OIS, phase detection auto-focus, and dual-tone, dual-LED flash. On front is a 2-MP selfie snapper. Among its connectivity features are Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS and LTE. It is powered by a colossal 3,410 mAh battery, which should provide up to 22.5 hours of mixed usage. The battery also supports rapid charging.
Image by BlackBerry
The BlackBerry PRIV retails for $699, which is quite steep, and is not available for pre-order
BlackBerry released a new version of its flagship Passport smartphone. It is called the BlackBerry Passport Silver Edition. By its name, one can tell that its color is silver. It will also come with a stainless steel frame for extra strength and durability. Its keyboard has been improved and its corners are now rounded. Moreover, a diamond weave pattern can be seen on the back for improved grip.
Aside from the above mentioned changes, the BlackBerry Passport Silver Edition will have the same specs and features as the original Passport. So it will also feature a 4.5-inch 1,440 x 1,440 IPS LCD with Gorilla Glass 3 protection, Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 SoC with 3GB RAM and 32GB of expandable internal storage. It will also have a 13-MP rear camera with optical image stabilization (OIS) and an LED flash. There is also a 2-MP front-facing camera on board. Connectivity-wise, it features Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, NFC, and LTE. A 3,450 mAh battery will keep its lights on. The new Silver Edition runs BlackBerry OS 10.3.2 and will be able to play Android Apps from the Amazon Appstore. It will cost $549 unlocked and for a limited time, you will also get some free accessories (Flip Case, Flex Shell and Sync Pod) with it worth $130. It will be available in the US, Canada, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the Netherlands.
The BlackBerry Leap is latest member of the BlackBerry 10
family. It is a midrange offering with looks eerily similar to the BlackBerry Z3. Specs-wise, it comes with a 5-inch 720p HD display resulting in a pixel density of 294 ppi. It packs an outdated Snapdragon S4 Plus chip (same as that of the BlackBerry Q10 and Classic) with a 1.5GHz dual-core Krait CPU and 2GB RAM. There is also 16GB of expandable internal storage.
Image by BlackBerry
Imaging-wise, the BlackBerry Leap features an 8-MP auto-focus camera with LED flash and up to 5x digital zoom. It can record videos up to 1080p Full HD resolution at 30 fps. Measuring 144 mm x 72.8 mm x 9.5 mm and weighing 170 grams, this smartphone is rather heavy. The
battery under its textured soft back cover is 2,800 mAh and isn't removable.
BlackBerry says it can last up to 25 hours of heavy use. The smartphone runs BlackBerry OS 10.3.1 out of the box and comes with BlackBerry Blend, BlackBerry Assistant, access to Android apps via the Amazon App Store, and more. It will launch in April 2015 for the price of $275, which is rather expensive for what it offers. Check out its promo video below:
In a rather odd but not surprising move, BlackBerry has launched a camera-less version of its Classic smartphone, which is now available for pre-order at Verizon. But why exactly would BlackBerry opt for such feature (or the lack thereof)? Well, there are actually companies that do not allow their employees to go to work with any devices containing cameras. In addition, some of those who serve in the military are not allowed to bring camera phones with them inside. The BlackBerry Classic is essentially the same Classic smartphone with both of its cameras removed.
Image by Verizon
The BlackBerry Classic Non Camera still packs a 3.5-inch display of 720p HD resolution, an old 1.5GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, 2GB RAM, 16GB of expandable storage space, and a 2,500 mAh battery. It runs BlackBerry OS 10.3.1 out of the box. Set to ship this March 31, 2015, the smartphone costs $99.99 with a two-year Verizon contract or $399.99 contract-free. Any takers?
The BlackBerry Classic has finally been unveiled and made official by BlackBerry. It may look like a successor to the BlackBerry Q10 in terms of specs but it is actually targeted to BlackBerry Bold 9900 users. Specs-wise, it is virtually the same as BlackBerry Q10 with a few exceptions. These include the comeback of the iconic trackpad along with other traditional navigation keys and the addition of the Mute/BlackBerry Assistant button (placed in between the volume keys). The screen has also been bumped up to 3.5-inches from the Q10's 3.1-inch screen.
Image by CrackBerry
The BlackBerry Classic packs a 3.5-inch LCD touchscreen of 720p HD resolution, protected by Gorilla Glass 3. It runs on a dated 1.2 GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor with 2GB RAM and 16GB of internal storage. The storage is expandable via a microSD card. Like the BlackBerry Q10, it is equipped with an 8-MP rear camera with LED flash and a 2-MP front camera. The main camera is also capable of 1080p FullHD video recording. It runs BlackBerry OS 10.3 out of the box and supports native Android apps officially via the Amazon Appstore.
Image by CrackBerry
As it is targeting mostly users stuck with the BlackBerry Bold 9900, the QWERTY keyboard, square trackpad, and navigation keys of the BlackBerry Classic are definitely welcome. It is currently selling for $449 contract-free but will also be carried by several telcos worldwide. Below are some promo videos for the newly launched BlackBerry Classic:
The BlackBerry Passport has been officially introduced and can be bought unlocked for just $599. This is a promotional price though as it is originally priced at $699. The BlackBerry Passport is unique in many ways - its unorthodox wide boxy look among them. Its QWERTY keyboard is also not the typical one as it lacks the physical punctuation/number keys. It makes up for that through virtual keys and its innovative keyboard that doubles as a track pad. Among its key features are a 4.5" IPS LCD touchscreen display of 1,440 x 1,440 resolution, a 13-MP primary camera with optical image stabilization, 32GB of internal storage with microSD card slot, 3,450 mAh battery (up to 30 hours battery life), 1080p FullHD video recording at 60 fps, Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection, and official access to the Amazon AppStore for downloading Android applications. Check out its promo videos below:
The BlackBerry Porsche Design P'9983 is now official. It is the successor to the Porsche Design P'9982 released last year. The P'9983 is packed with a 3.1-inch square Super AMOLED touchscreen of 720p HD resolution. It measures 119 mm x 67.1 mm x 10.6 mm and weighs 140g. Spec-wise, it is eerily similar to the BlackBerry Q10. It may actually be a reincarnation of the Q10 in a different body. In the imaging department, the Porsche Design P'9983 is equipped with an 8-MP rear camera and a 2-MP front-facing camera. It is powered by an ancient Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Plus chipset, which comes with a 1.5 GHz dual-core CPU and an Adreno 225 GPU. It has 2GB RAM and 64GB of internal storage that can be expanded further via microSD card slot. It runs on BlackBerry OS 10.3 and will be able to support many Android applications. A 2,100 mAh battery keeps the smartphone on. Connectivity-wise, it will have support for 4G LTE, dual-band Wi-Fi (802.11n), FM radio, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS, and NFC
Image by CrackBerry
But more than its specs, the BlackBerry Porsche Design P'9983 will have to rely on its looks (premium design and finish) to sell. It comes with sapphire glass for the camera lens, forged stainless steel for the Porsche Design logo and chassis, and "a special glass-weave technology for the back door".
In the box, you'll find a premium stereo headset, an international charging kit, a polishing cloth, and a USB cable. There will be exclusive aftermarket accessories available too. It will become available this October 2014 at Porsche Design stores, as well as select carriers and retailers across the world. There's no word on pricing yet but it will definitely be very expensive.
New BlackBerry CEO John Chen recently showcased two new high-end smartphones of the company: the BlackBerry Passport and the BlackBerry Classic. Here's hoping that these two flagship smartphones turn things around for the troubled company.
Image by CrackBerry
The BlackBerry Passport packs a
4+ inch screen with 1440 x 1440 pixel resolution. It will be powered by a Snapdragon 800 chipset coupled with 3GB RAM. There is also 13-MP
rear camera and a massive 3,450mAh battery will keep the
phone running. Interestingly, the BlackBerry Passport also sports an odd looking QWERTY keyboard below the screen. The
keyboard lacks punctuation and number keys, and users would have to press down on
the keys to type and swipe over them for other functions. The
BlackBerry Passport will launch on September 2014.
Image by CrackBerry
The other BlackBerry smartphone that will launch this year is the BlackBerry Classic, which is successor to the BlackBerry Q10.
It packs the iconic BlackBerry QWERTY keyboard, complete with touchpad and function keys. It will pack a 3.5-inch capacitive touchscreen.
Announced at this year's Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, the
BlackBerry Z3 is now available for pre-order in Indonesia through local
carriers such as Indosat and XL. However, it won't be available until
May 13.
Image by Fone Arena
The
BlackBerry Z3 will be available in 2 versions: the regular one and the
Jakarta Edition, which will have the name of the Indonesian capital
engraved on its back panel. This special edition of the Z3 was made to
commemorate its launch as the first BlackBerry smartphone built for the
Indonesian market.
Image by Fone Arena
The BlackBerry Z3 will just cost $190 or IDR 2,199,000. It
packs a 5-inch qHD display, 8GB of internal storage, expandable via
microSD card slot, 1.5GB RAM, and a dual-core 1.2GHz Snapdragon 200
processor. There will be a 5-MP rear shooter and a 1.1-MP front-facing camera. All of these will be powered by a 2,500 mAh battery. There's no word yet on the BlackBerry Z3's international availability.
BlackBerry has unveiled two new BlackBerry OS 10-powered smartphones at this year's Mobile World Congress. First, we have the BlackBerry Z3, which a budget version of the Z10, and the BlackBerry Classic, which is the successor of the BlackBerry Q10 smartphone.
The Z3 will run on BlackBerry 10 OS version 10.2.1. It will
have access to the BlackBerry Hub, BBM, BlackBerry Keyboard, and more.
The smartphone also has an integrated FM tuner. It boasts a 5-inch display of qHD
resolution and is powered by a 1.2GHz dual-core Snapdragon 400 chipset
and 1.5GB RAM. Internal storage is 8GB expandable via microSD card. At the back is a 5-MP shooter and on front is a 1.1-MP camera. The Z3 will hit Indonesia in April 2014 and will cost less than $200 off-contract.
Image by BlackBerry
Meanwhile, the BlackBerry Classic is a high end smartphone that runs the BlackBerry 10 OS version 10.2.1 as well. It promises the classic button layout and QWERTY experience that
BlackBerry fans prefer. It also has an integrated trackpad to
enable fast and efficient navigation. Like the Z3, it will also have access to the BlackBerry Hub. Not much is known yet about the specs of the Classic, aside from its 3.5-inch touchscreen along with a QWERTY keyboard.
The BlackBerry Messenger, known as BBM, will now come preinstalled in LG devices particularly its smartphones and phablets. The Canadian company forged an agreement
with LG which will include standard and virtual preloading of the app to its smartphones. The LG G Pro Lite will be the first LG smartphone to have BBM out of the box.
The BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) debuted on iOS and Android in late October 2013. In just more than a week, it has garnered 20 million more new subscribers from both platforms. Please note that these are active users, not just app downloads. With this user base, it can now directly compete with the likes of Viber, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, WeChat, iMessage, LINE, Kakao Talk, and Google Hangouts.
Image by GSMArena
BBM is regarded as a top tier communication tool. It features a more
secure way of sharing your information (not everyone that has your
mobile number can see your information), as well as delivered and read
statuses. Let us see if this enthusiasm with BBM will be sustained.
Since the launch of Apple's iPhone, and subsequently, a horde of Android devices led by Samsung, BlackBerry started losing ground. With its depleting market share, net losses, mass layoffs, and uninspiring sales of BB10 devices, everyone knew that BlackBerry was in trouble. Recently, the Canadian-based company announced that it has been looking for investors to buy out the company. The wait may be over as BlackBerry just announced that it has signed a letter of intent agreement for a sale of the company amounting to $4.7 billion to a consortium led by Fairfax Financial, which also happens to be BlackBerry's largest shareholder.
Pending due
diligence the sale is expected to be completed by November 4, which means that BlackBerry will go private, with shareholders each receiving $9 per
share in cash. Quoting Fairfax Chairman and CEO Prem Watsa, he said: "we believe
this transaction will open an exciting new private chapter for
BlackBerry, its customers, carriers and employees," adding, "we can
deliver immediate value to shareholders, while we continue the execution
of a long-term strategy in a private company with a focus on delivering
superior and secure enterprise solutions to BlackBerry customers around
the world." BlackBerry's CEO Thorsten Heins has yet to release a statement.
Image by Engadget
In the meantime, BlackBerry will continue looking for alternative
offers, but according to the intent agreement, Fairfax group will have
all the rights to match the offers if any. The Fairfax group, which currently owns a 10% stake in the company,
has several partners who have opted to remain anonymous until the
diligence is completed.
BlackBerry is still fighting. It has just announced a new flagship smartphone, the Z30. It is also the first
BlackBerry smartphone to ship with the company's latest version of the BB 10 OS, which is the BB OS 10.2. The BlackBerry Z30 packs a 5" Super AMOLED display with a
resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels (295 ppi). It measures 140.7 mm x 72 mm x 9.4 mm. It is powered by a dual-core 1.7GHz
Snapdragon S4 Pro chipset and 2GB of RAM. It also supports LTE, dual-band Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth
4.0 and NFC. It is equipped with an 8-MP camera with an f/2.2 lens, also capable of 1080p Full HD
video recording capabilities. There is also a 2-MP front-facing snapper, which records 720p HD videos.
Image by GSMArena
Some of the new features of the latest BlackBerry OS 10.2 include the BB Priority Hub, which learns who in your messaging history is
important and collects priority messages from all accounts (e-mail,
social networking and other sources). BBM Now and Message Preview will also give
you a peek at new messages without having to leave the app and you can
even respond to BBM messages. The Z30 boasts a 2,880 mAh battery pack and a new antenna design together with stereo speakers with
Natural Sound technology. There's no information yet on its pricing and availability.
The BlackBerry Q10 and Z10 will also get the latest BB OS 10.2 update in mid-October.
Earlier in the year, BlackBerry announced that its famous BlackBerry Messenger will become available in other mobile platforms such as the iOS and Android but until now, BBM is nowhere to been seen in both app stores. Now, Samsung has kicked-off its promotion of
BBM to promote the instant messaging application in Africa. Several campaign posters and teasers have been seen in Africa.
Image by GSMArena
Here's a video of the said promotion:
Expect BlackBerry Messenger to hit Samsung’s App Store and Google's Play Store soon.
