Despite nearly going belly up BlackBerry covfefe

Jun 5, 2017 14:00 GMT  ·  By

A new BlackBerry! Even though corporate, business strategy and software transitions over the past few years have changed what that means, the KEYone sure looks like a real BlackBerry and, as a long time (or should I say old time) user and fan of the brand, I can’t help getting excited.

Now, let’s see if reality matches expectations.

Design & Build Quality

The KEYone looks… cool. I could go on about how the silver and black combine to give it an industrial look with an elegant feel that works regardless if you’re a businessman or not, but “cool” is actually the best way to put it.

Just like the DTEK50/60, there’s no BlackBerry branding on the front (probably because there was no room for it, but that’s actually for the better). The physical keyboard at the bottom gives the phone its name and adds a little ruggedness thanks to the unusual geometry of the space key (there’s a reason for that, of course).

The metal frame looks and feels extremely sturdy, and it should be, since it’s not exactly thin by today’s standards. Build quality is excellent all around, a few notches higher compared with the DTEK50 and PRIV, which feel flimsy and cheap compared to the KEYone.

The back plate continues BlackBerry’s tradition of textured, rubbery plastics, and this one looks and feels better than ever. Aside from the usual logo, it also houses the impressive camera lens and its dual-tone flash, but nothing else, which completes the phone’s stylish design.

On the left side there’s the lonely lock/unlock key, while the SIM/microSD tray, volume buttons (combined into one) and the Convenience key can be found on the right side. Lastly, there’s a 3.5mm audio jack (top) and a USB Type-C connector (bottom).

Display

At 4.5”, the screen is on the small side and, given its 3:2 aspect ratio, not very suitable for watching videos. You’ll get black bars with 16:9 content that would otherwise fill the entire screen, which makes this display seem even smaller.

It is crisp though (433 PPI) and decent in terms of brightness, as long as you don't put it next to the likes of Galaxy S7/S8, iPhone 7 or Google Pixel, especially in broad sunlight.

Combined with the physical keyboard, the 1620x1080 resolution makes the KEYone feel like a full touch device where the on-screen keyboard is permanently visible, except you actually do get an on-screen keyboard sometimes, which reduces the usable portion of the display even further.

There is something 100% positive about it, however: it’s not curved!

Hardware Setup

Looking at the spec sheet, it’s obvious right off the bat that TCL wants you to do more work and have less fun. They built the KEYone around Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 625 SoC, a chipset that compromises on processing power in return for reduced energy consumption.

On the other hand there’s plenty of RAM (3GB) and decent built-in storage space (32GB) that can be expanded up to 2TB via microSD card. In terms of connectivity, it’s got the whole package: Bluetooth 4.1, NFC, WiFi up to 802.11ac, GPS (including the EU, Chinese and Russian flavors) and every wireless/GSM/LTE band you can think of. And, yes, USB Type-C.

The one bit they really went crazy with is the camera: believe it or not, the KEYone uses the exact same sensor as the Pixel. And it shows, with a little help from the BlackBerry camera software (more on that later).  

BlackBerry KEYone (BBB-100) Tech Specs
Display 4.5" @ 1620x1080, 433 PPI
24-bit color IPS LCD
Size 5.8x2.8x0.37 in / 149.3x72.5x9.4 mm
Weight 6.34 oz / 180 g
Buttons Power/Lock, Volume Up, Volume Down, Convenience Key (customizable)
Chipset Qualcomm Snapdragon 625
CPU: Octa-core (8x ARM Cortex A53 2.0 GHz 64-bit)
GPU: Adreno 506 650 MHz
Modem Snapdragon X9 LTE (Cat.13 uplink, Cat.7 downlink
Wireless Wi-Fi: 802.11ac wave2, 802.11n/a/b/g Bluetooth: v4.1, Low Energy support Location: GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, Beidou, OTDOA
Memory RAM: 3 GB LPDDR3
ROM: 32 GB built-in 
Expandable: up to 2TB via microSD/SIM hybrid slot
USB USB 3.1 Type-C, OTG Support
Software Android 7.1.1 Nougat OS
BlackBerry Suite, DTEK
Rear camera Sensor: Sony Exmor IMX378 with 1.55um pixel size
Lens: HDR 6-element with f/2.0 aperture
Resolution: 12MP, 4056x2704 pixels
Video: up to 4K @ 30fps or 1080p @ 60fps
Dual-tone LED flash, image stabilization (electronic)
Front camera Lens: f/2.2 
Resolution: 8MP
Video: up to 1080p @ 30fps
Wide selfie mode, LCD flash, image stabilization (electronic)
Fingerprint Fingerprint Cards AB FPC1145 embedded in spacebar key
Sensors Accelerometer, Magnetometer, Gyroscope, Proximity, Ambient light, Hall Effect
Device BlackBerry KEYone (codename Mercury)
Model BBB100-2 (bbb100emea)
Battery 3505/3440 mAh 4.4V (non-removable)
Quick Charge 3.0
Extras Touch-sensitive QWERTY keyboard with embedded fingerprint reader (SPACE key)
RGB notification LED

Performance

Since the KEYone is not a CPU/GPU powerhouse, real-life performance is much more relevant than benchmark results. Still, it’s interesting to see how it fares when put against devices equipped with the same chipset, like the Moto G5 Plus, Samsung Galaxy C7 or Oppo R9s.

The GeekBench CPU test revealed very similar results, which means BlackBerry has taken steps to ensure its increased security features do not take a heavy toll on the SoC’s resources. AnTuTu scores (3D 12616, UX 24159, CPU 20957, RAM 5455) include GPU performance as well and revealed higher scores for the KEYone, which was somewhat expected given the lower screen resolution, but still a welcome confirmation.  

Benchmark / Phone KEYone OPPO R9s Moto G5 Plus Galaxy C7
AnTuTu 63,187 62,000 60,500 60,140
Geekbench Single-Core 873 896 854 883
Geekbench Multi-Core 3797 4218 4344 3207
IRL it works great for the most part, as long as you don’t venture past the usual productivity/messaging/camera territory and into the gaming realm. There’s the occasional snag and unregistered touch events but I tend to chalk those under the Android OS itself rather than the device.

The Snapdragon 625 chipset performs admirably and allows the KEYone to easily handle tasks that caused slowdowns or temperature increases on the PRIV or DTEK50. Apps start quickly and there’s virtually no lag while using the UI, which makes using the Hub a pleasure.

The Keyboard

So what’s the deal with physical keyboards? I mean, when was the last time you thought “man, this phone could really use some QWERTY action”? I’ll wait. ^Hecklers welcome in the comments.

It cannot be denied: the KEYone is the latest expression of BlackBerry’s love for physical keyboards. It looks good, it makes the device stand out and it works better than its previous, hidden-under-a-sliding-screen, incarnation, not to mention it houses a fingerprint reader, which until 2016’s DTEK 60 was a big no-no for BlackBerry. But…

But #1: typing on it is still slower than any good touch-based keyboards (there are quite a few out there, including BlackBerry’s own).

But #2: you’ll often be forced to use a strange touch/physical hybrid keyboard anyway, especially if you want to type diacritics or special characters (hint, press the SYM key).

But #3: it doesn’t realize its full potential, for example you can’t long press on a key to type numbers or special characters printed on them, only lower/upper case letters or variants with diacritics.

But #4: shortcuts only work from the launcher, which makes them of very little use.

But #5: key combinations that would have made sense, like ALT+DEL, are not implemented (at least long pressing DEL to delete whole words would have been nice, but no).

But #6: if you’re used to front-mounted fingerprint sensors (iPhone, Samsung before the Galaxy S8, and so on), you’ll end up clicking the SPACE key instead of the home button above the keyboard a lot.

But #7: it’s probably the key reason why the KEYone doesn’t have any kind of dust or water resistance certification.

BlackBerry Keyboard settings, on-screen keys and nice story written with suggestions only
BlackBerry Keyboard settings, on-screen keys and nice story written with suggestions only

Fingerprint Sensor

Just like the phone itself, the KEYone’s fingerprint reader isn’t exactly ordinary. Thankfully, this only means an unusual implementation inside the physical SPACE key. Other than that, its actual location is familiar (front & bottom) and there are two tiny lights that draw your attention to it.

The sensor itself (FPC1145) is supplied out of Germany by Fingerprint Cards, and was originally designed to be mounted vertically, like you would see on an Xperia smartphone. Despite this, it works very well in terms of speed and accuracy and benefits from 3D pixel-sensing technology when it comes to wet fingers.

Testing proved “wet” to be an overstatement, though, but it does deal with non-dry thumbs better than iPhones, including the current generation. Just make sure you don’t go over the rated limit of 10 million unlocks :-)

Software & Security

The KEYone comes with Nougat (7.1.1), so you’re getting the latest and most secure Android version right out of the box. On top of that, BlackBerry’s Android flavor adds its own improvements both on the user side (DTEK app) and the system/kernel side.

It’s worth noting that this last part has been disputed heavily by the competition, however, and since the release of Marshmallow (6.x), Android itself has become more secure in several ways, which takes away some of BlackBerry’s bragging rights here.

Unlike most Android OEMs, their commitment to fast security updates continues, although this time they’ve been moved to a separate app instead of the usual place inside the settings area.

BlackBerry’s suite of applications continues to improve, with updates being pushed most frequently to the Hub and Productivity Tab, but the Keyboard and Camera haven’t been forgotten either.

BlackBerry Productivity Tab
BlackBerry Productivity Tab

There’s also a newcomer called Notable, which is a kind of notes & annotations application. It looks nice and works just fine, but it would have made more sense to add all of this functionality to the Notes app, as having two apps with related functionality and very similar names and launcher icons is more than a little confusing.

The Hub works like a charm and gets support for new content sources every now and then. It’s smarter too, as it auto-detected all of my Exchange server settings during setup, something that it wasn’t capable of in the past. Best of all, it’s got a dark theme. Not-best of all, this dark theme is not available across all of Blackberry’s apps.

Another interesting addition is the Workspaces app, which allows access to BlackBerry’s cloud-enabled collaboration service of the same name. Imagine a business-oriented Google Docs/Drive built with security in mind and you’ve got the right idea.

Also concerning software features is the hardware Convenience key, which can be configured to do specific actions like open an app, access a speed dial contact, send messages and other types or shortcuts. Pro tip: to start the Google Assistant with the Convenience key, set it to "open an app" and choose Voice Search.

Camera

The name’s IMX378. Sony IMX378.

Well, Sony Exmor RS Stacked BSI CMOS IMX378 to be exact, but let’s just say it’s the same you get with a Google Pixel, which has a great camera (the best in fact, until very recently). But since you’re reading this, you probably knew that. The question is, does this mean the KEYone has a great camera as well? Yes and no.

Yes, because the hardware configuration is identical to the Pixel, down to the 12MP count and f/2.0 aperture. The “large” 1.55um pixels help in low (ish) light conditions and the focus speed is quite fast. It doesn’t look like BlackBerry added too much post-processing, which is a good thing in this case. Results are very good for the most part, check out the gallery for some camera samples.

No, because it lacks all of Google’s software wizardry like HDR+ and whatnot. On the other hand, the BlackBerry has a full manual mode which lets you adjust focus, exposure, ISO, white balance and shutter speed to your liking. Shooting video options range from 720p@24fps all the way up to 4K@30fps, with 60fps available for 720p and 1080p only. Slow-mo and panorama modes are present as well, but there’s no optical stabilization (here's a sample).

By the way, if you’re looking for a “portrait” mode, you won’t find one here. Not necessarily a problem, since it’s something even Samsung and Apple are still struggling to get right.

BlackBerry camera app with auto mode, manual mode and settings
BlackBerry camera app with auto mode, manual mode and settings

Audio & Call Quality

Call quality is pretty much what you would expect from an OS10-era BlackBerry (great, that means it’s great).

When it comes to music and movies, going back to mono sound is rather disappointing, especially after the DTEK50/60 speakerfest. Yes, only one of those big grilles at the bottom has a speaker behind it and the one at the top is purely decorative, sadly. Nevertheless, the KEYone is about as loud as the iPhone 7 Plus, but with better response in the lower frequencies spectrum (read: bass).

Battery Life & Charging

Two days on a full charge is something the KEYone does effortlessly. Of course, that’s possible due to the hefty 3505 mAh battery, efficient SoC and smaller screen, but it’s still impressive.

There’s no wireless charging and that’s a real pity since it could have eliminated the need to plug in for charging (overnight or otherwise) altogether. Quick Charge (3.0) support and the included wall charger help sweeten that inconvenience, however. Strangely, you need to activate “boost mode” manually first.

On the software side, there’s a Power Center app with two main features. First, similar to the security-oriented DTEK app, it provides status information, advice and quick access to system settings that affect power usage (display brightness, location mode and so on).

Second, it allows setting per-app power settings. This means either selecting one of the three pre-configured profiles (Performance, Balance, Energy Saving) or manually setting the screen brightness, resolution and framerate to be used when that specific app is brought up. This worked well in testing, although changing the resolution (you can go as low as 810x540) can have weird results.


The Good

The design is great, the camera is great, the security and timely updates are definitely great. The software is good, the sound is pretty good (but mono) and the hardware convenience key is helpful. Battery life is excellent and overall performance is decent as well, thanks to the Snapdragon 625 chipset choice and the smaller screen.

It’s also nice to see BlackBerry committing to microSD slots despite having 32GB onboard storage by default. The switch to USB Type-C and the inclusion of a fingerprint reader (which works well enough) indicate BlackBerry has finally joined the fast track to adopting new technologies.

The Bad

While the KEYone does mark the return of the QWERTY phone, that’s something nobody really asked for. There are several excellent touch keyboard options nowadays, including BlackBerry’s, which has been continuously refined since its initial release on the PRIV (although fans will remember its debut was actually on the OS10-powered Z10 back in 2013).

The KEYone’s other significant fault is also connected to the physical keyboard. I honestly can’t help thinking about how a full-touch version of this device would have been a much better deal for customers and BlackBerry alike.

The lack of stereo sound and water/dust resistance certifications can be overlooked, but should really be present on any device that wants to have a shot at flagship status in 2017. One more thing: at $549/€599, the price will seem steep to everyone but the brand’s most loyal fans.

Conclusion

So here’s the BlackBerry status quo: if you want to buy one of their smartphones, you get to choose between bland Alcatel clones with full touch displays (DTEK50, DTEK60) or a cool-looking, fingerprint-reading, solid-built device incapacitated by a cut-off display (KEYone).

It’s a real pity, because the world needs more Android devices with bloatware-free system software, timely security updates, design that stands out and excellent battery life. But not physical keyboards!

Our Rating

looks 5
build 5
speed 4
battery 5
calls 5
camera 4
video 4
apps 5
screen 3
signal4

final rating 4

BlackBerry KEYone Photos and Camera Samples (33 Images)

BlackBerry KEYonebox with outer sleeve
BlackBerry KEYone boxBlackBerry KEYone front
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