TCL Unveils New BlackBerry KEY2 Security-Enhanced Smartphone

The latest security enhanced BlackBerry phone, produced under license by TCL Communication, starts at $649 and will begin shipping later in June. BlackBerry may not be building its own smartphones anymore, but China's TCL Communication is hoping that won't prevent enterprise buyers from looking into and buying its latest BlackBerry-licensed, security-enhanced handset, the BlackBerry KEY2. The latest phone includes a 4.5-inch touch-screen LCD display with a 3:2 aspect ratio, a redesigned "intelligent" physical keyboard, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 processor, 6GB of memory, 64GB or 128GB of built-in storage and a microSD slot for expandable storage cards. The handset also includes a battery that promises up to two days use on a charge, a Corning Gorilla Glass display cover glass for durability and the first dual rear cameras on a BlackBerry-branded phone. It runs on the Android 8.1 Oreo operating system. The KEY2, announced by TCL on June 7, comes one year after the company introduced its first BlackBerry-licensed smartphone, the KEYone, in June of 2017. Prices for the KEY2 start at $649 in the U.S. and are expected to go on sale later in June around the world.