BlackBerry KEY2 LE Hands-On: Less For Less By MrMobile [Michael Fisher]

(bright music) - For some, a physical keyboard on a smartphone is a feature worth paying any price for. And that's why BlackBerry priced its KEY2 flagship at a steep $649. This phone is for those who want that keyboard but don't want to pay a premium for it. This is the BlackBerry KEY2 LE and it has all the compromises you would expect of a mid-range repackage. The first thing I noticed when I went hands-on here in Berlin is that the aluminum of the KEY2 proper has been replaced by polycarbonate on the LE which makes it much lighter. Almost too light for someone like me who prefers a little heft.

The new model is available in three colors now, including the very fetching, Atomic Red that's probably the most exciting thing about the lineup. The phone makes plenty of trade-ins on the spec sheet with a smaller battery, a lower end processor with less RAM, and downgraded cameras as well. That last point is probably the most concerning to me as the KEY2 proper doesn't have a great shooter to begin with but I'll withhold judgment until I get it out into the real world for some proper photo sessions. How about the most important change? Well, the keyboard is smaller with frets and a footprint that recalls the old KEYone. It's not as cramped as that older phone though, with about a 10% increase in size and a matte finish on the buttons.

I like the physical feedback a lot, it strikes a nice balance between firm and soft, leaning more toward the latter, with the bonus that the spacebar doesn't click differently than the rest of the buttons. KEY2 owners, you know what I mean there. That spacebar is still a fingerprint sensor, yay, and you still get the new Speed Key, yay also. What you don't get though is the capacitive layer that lets you use the keyboard as a trackpad, a pretty big sacrifice to save cost. What you end up with is a phone that comes in some fun colors and delivers the core of the new BlackBerry experience at a reduced price.

But folks, we're still talking 399 here, or 450 in the States where the 64-gig model is planned to be the lead option. BlackBerry will, I'm sure, make the point that you're getting the whole BlackBerry security promise and the special touches like the Convenience Key and its new Google Assistant mode. But at the end of the day the only question that really matters is the same as for the standard KEY2. Do you want a physical keyboard? If you do and you're unwilling to spend more than 450 bucks for the privilege, well the KEY2 LE really is your only choice. Buying a KEYone at this point is a bad idea given its older internals and the fact that it was never too speedy even at launch.

Besides, the KEY2 LE will probably be supported for far longer. Maybe it's the colors, maybe it's the lighter weight, or the addition of more plastic. I just can't help but think about the old glory days of the BlackBerry Curve when I look at the LE. But the customers who bought BlackBerries by the truckload back in those days did it because they were 99 bucks on contract and physical keyboards were all the rage in 2008. Are there enough of those people in 2018 to make this phone a success? We'll find out later in September when the BlackBerry KEY2 LE goes on sale.

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Source : MrMobile [Michael Fisher]