The device will bring a welcome upgrade over the DTEK50

Sep 20, 2016 07:26 GMT  ·  By

BlackBerry is looking to expand its Android smartphone lineup with a new model that could be essentially an upgraded version of the DTEK50 featuring higher specs which allegedly got leaked today.

While nobody can tell for sure if these are real or not, the specs of the rumored BlackBerry DTEK60, also known as Argon, reached the web via the official BlackBerry website, with a link that included the “donotpublish” tag, which could be a sign that these are indeed real but not yet ready to unveil.

First and foremost, since it’s an evolved version of the DTEK50, the new model is likely to come with a 5.5-inch display, versus the 5.2-inch screen offered on the existing phone. A 2560x1440 pixel Quad HD resolution is likely to be offered with a screen depth of 534 PPI.

There won’t be any QWERTY keyboard, which for many BlackBerry fans could be a drawback, but the screen will feature an all-touch screen with the focus now switched to gesture-based navigation. BlackBerry is reportedly researching new ways to improve navigation on its phones and leave the keyboard behind, and the DTEK60 is one of the models that would continue the firm’s developments in this regard.

Snapdragon 820 and 4 GB of RAM

In terms of power, the future model could come with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 CPU, similar to other flagships currently available on the market, including the recalled Samsung Galaxy Note 7. Most likely, BlackBerry will install 4 GB of RAM and 32 GB of storage, and a microSD card slot is very likely to be offered, just like on the DTEK50.

Cameras will get an upgrade too, and the main unit will be a 21-megapixel with auto-focus, while the front-facing version will feature 8 megapixels for selfies and video calls. This is clearly a welcome upgrade over the 13MP camera on the DTEK50, and BlackBerry is also expected to focus a little bit more on software processing to improve photo quality.

The battery will get an important upgrade as well, as the DTEK60 could ship with a 3,000 mAh non-removable unit, up from 2,610 mAh on its predecessor. Charging will take place via the single USB Type-C port with Quick Charge 3.0 support for fast charging.

What’s interesting is that the DTEK60 could also come with a fingerprint sensor that would add to the security that BlackBerry has been praising so much for these models, but for the moment no other specifics are available.

Since they come straight from BlackBerry, these specifications are very likely to be real, but there’s also another element that adds more veracity to these numbers. The DTEK60 is likely to be a rebadged version of the TCL 950 and recent leaks have shown that these are indeed the specs of this phone, too.

Certainly, there’s more to discover about this new BlackBerry model, but the future certainly looks interesting for the Canadian manufacturer. There’s still no word on pricing or release date.  

5.5-inch diagonal, 534 PPI, 2560 x 1440 Quad HD resolution
All-touch screen, with intuitive gesture based navigation
Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 64-bit Quad-Core (MSM8996 with 64 bit Quad-Core 2+2 Kryo 2.15GHz / 1.6GHz), Adreno 530, 624MHz GPU
4 GB RAM, 32 GB Flash
USB Type-C
3000 mAh 4.4V non-removable Lithium-Ion battery QC3.0 Enabled
21-megapixel auto-focus camera
8-megapixel Fixed-Focus
Fingerprint sensor
Convenience key