BlackBerry has another handset on the list for 2018 — a lower cost version of the Key2 known as the Key2 LE, which was just announced at IFA 2018 in Berlin.
Well, it doesn’t use the fastest processor, have the best camera, or a notch. Instead, it has the latest Android security updates, a plethora of BlackBerry apps all aimed at making (and keeping) the Key2 as secure as possible, and a keyboard that doubles as a trackpad.
For the most part, the BlackBerry Key2 LE looks pretty similar to the Key2. It has the same 4.5 inch display and a matte keyboard, but the keyboard is slightly smaller and the phone weighs less. The keyboard does not have a capacitive touch features you’ll find on the Key2, which is one of the sacrifices you make for the cheaper phone, but the new Speed Key is still present. It helps you swap between apps much faster using the keyboard shortcuts. It won’t adapt well to fullscreen apps and is stingy on viewable content. It’s far too cramped to use effectively on most Instagram feeds, too limiting to really play games, and not comfortable to watch YouTube videos with the keyboard oriented in landscape.
Other apps in the BlackBerry suite include the Hub — where texts, emails, Slack, and other messages are all grouped together — a password locker, redactor, file explorer, information locker, FM radio, and device search. It’s easy to tell that the Key2 won’t get its best use out of apps that provide amusement like the iPhone’s Animoji or the Galaxy’s augmented and virtual reality functions — the BlackBerry is for work.