What are the best BlackBerry phones that I can buy in 2018?
Blackberry phones many believe have gone to the grave. It is because there are so many varieties of Android smartphones out there on the market that Blackberry has gone far behind in the race of the phone competition. BlackBerry tried to keep up with new phones that used its own BlackBerry OS, but slowly it lost its huge market share to this competition.
Blackberry has now as a company switched over to developing security software for businesses. However, it does license out its BlackBerry name to other smartphone makers who use it to make their own Android-based devices, with BlackBerry software installed. That means you can still buy a new phone with the classic BlackBerry name attached to it.
If you are dedicated fan of Blackberry phones and wish to buy one then here are the best phones that you can still buy in 2018. These smartphones include the new ones made by other companies, along with some of the older ones that BlackBerry itself designed and made.
BlackBerry KeyOne
Blackberry KeyOne as the name suggest is the Android smartphone with the physical Qwerty keyboard that most of us are crazy about. This brand of phone was actually designed and made by TCL, who now owns the rights to use the BlackBerry name on handsets.
The keyboard feature alone makes the Keyone stand out from the competition as the users of older BlackBerry phones will feel right at home in using the keyboard, although it may take some getting used to for others who have used a virtual keyboard on a touchscreen for years. The Keyone keyboard, combined with the BlackBerry Launcher software, allows users to create and access shortcuts to features on the phone, such as launching specific apps, playing games, using it with its camera, and more.
The phone specifications:
BlackBerry KEYone is 4.5-inch 1,620 x 1,080 touchscreen and may sound small, but with its physical keyboard, the screen can now be used for apps and other uses exclusively. It also has an qcta-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor running at 2 GHz, along with Android 7.1.1 Nougat out of the box, 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of onboard storage. There is a new version of this phone also known as the BlackBerry KEYone Black Edition, which has 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of storage, in addition to an all-black finish, as opposed to the black and silver look of the original.
Both versions also have a rear 12 MP camera, a front-facing 8 MP camera and a 3,505 mAh battery. The fingerprint reader is embedded in the keyboard’s spacebar. The body of the KEYone is made of thick aluminum, with a rubberized plastic material on the back to give the hand a better hold. BlackBerry’s mobile software is installed on the phone, which includes its DTEK security software for apps.
Click here to buy this Blackberry phone or here at AU$699
BlackBerry Priv
Blackberry Priv is the best slider phone that was launched in 2015 and it remains one of the more unique Android phones you can buy. Not only does it have a physical keyboard, but it actually slides out from under the Priv’s main screen. Here again the QWERTY keyboard itself is clearly meant to be used by power owners of the Priv who want the full BlackBerry experience, but if you don’t need it, you can simply slide the display down.
The phone specifications:
This phone has a bit large 5.4-inch Quad HD display. It also has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 processor, clocked at 1.8 GHz, along with 3 GB of RAM, and 32 GB of onboard storage. There’s also a large 18 MP rear camera, a small 2 MP front-facing camera, a 3,410 mAh battery, and of course you also get BlackBerry’s security and business software pre-installed.
The BlackBerry Priv was launched with Android 5.1.1 Lollipop out of the box, and later got an update to Android 6.0 Marshmallow. If you do decide to get this phone, be aware that BlackBerry does not plan to update the OS anymore, so you won’t be able to upgrade it to Android 7.0 Nougat or 8.0 Oreo.
Buy this phone now at shopbot at $295 or at Blackberry Store
BlackBerry DTEK50
BlackBerry DTEK50 is another awesome budget phone that you can buy in 2018. The DTEK50 is basically a somewhat modified and rebranded variant of TCL’s Alcatel Idol 4 phone. Aside from the branding, the biggest different between the two phones s that the DTEK50 has a rubber backing, compared to the glass back on the Idol 4.
The phone specifications:
The BlackBerry DTEK50, which launched in August 2016, has the same hardware specs as the Idol 4. It has a 5.2-inch IPS LTPS display with a 1,920 x 1,080 resolution, along with a octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 617 processor, 3 GB of RAM and 16 GB of onboard storage. It also has a 13 MP rear camera, an 8 MP front-facing camera and a 2,614 mAh battery. The phone comes with Android 6.0 Marshmallow out of the box, and it also has a number of BlackBerry security-based software apps pre-installed.
Click here to buy this phone now at AU$339 or at ShopBot
BlackBerry Passport
It wasn’t that long ago that BlackBerry was not only designing and making phones, but also developed its own mobile operating system for them. The latest, and final, such OS from the company is BB10, and for those of you BlackBerry die hards who want to use it over Android, is the Blackberry Passport .
The phone specifications:
The specs for the Passport, which was first released in 2014, include a 4.5-inch square touchscreen display with a 1,440 x 1,440 resolution, along with a QWERTY keyboard. It has BB10.3 pre-installed, along with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor, 3 GB of RAM, 32 GB of onboard storage, a 13 MP rear camera, a 2 MP front facing camera and a 3,450 mAh battery.
Buy this phone now at A$329 at Shopbot online
Blackberry Classic
The BlackBerry Classic, which also launched in 2014, is also a much smaller phone than the Passport. But this Android phone is budget Blackberry phone that you can still buy in 2018.
The phone specifications:
It has a 3.5-inch display with a square 720 x 720 touchscreen and a QWERTY keyboard. It has BB10.3 installed, along with a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Plus processor, 2 GB of RAM, 16 GB of onboard storage, an 8 MP rear camera, a 2 MP front facing camera and a 2,515 mAh battery.
Buy this phone at Shopbot or click here to buy one now
Note that if you buy BB Passport or BB Classic phones, the official support for the BlackBerry 10 OS is now just for security and privacy enhancements only; the company is not going to be adding any new features or upgrades. Also, many major third-party apps no longer will be updated for those phones as well. Of course, it is worth noting that BB10 supports a select number of Android apps, including APK sideloading.
