BlackBerry Limited: The Evolution of a Legendary Brand

The original BlackBerry is an iconic brand that many people grew up with and loved. However, over the years, the company seemed to give up on making phones, licensing out the Blackberry mobile name to Chinese company TCL, which now produces televisions and phones under the Alcatel brand. But in a surprising turn of events, BlackBerry has re-entered the phone market with a new device that pays homage to its rich history.

The latest offering from BlackBerry is the Key2, the follow-up to the recently released Key1. The Key2 boasts a very similar design to its predecessor, but with some notable changes. One of the most significant upgrades is the addition of a dual camera setup on the back of the device. This feature has become increasingly common in recent high-end smartphones, and BlackBerry is finally catching up. However, it's worth noting that this is not just a marketing gimmick - the cameras are actually capable of producing great results, including portrait mode photos.

However, despite these upgrades, the Key2 still falls short in terms of raw performance. It's powered by a Qualcomm 660 processor, which is significantly less powerful than the Snapdragon 845 found in many other flagship devices. This means that the Key2 may not be the best choice for those who want a device that can handle demanding tasks like gaming or video editing.

So, where does the Key2 fit into the crowded smartphone market? With a starting price of $649 for a 64 GB model with 6 GB of RAM, it's positioned squarely between budget-friendly options like Motorola phones and mid-range devices from Oppo and OnePlus. However, its specs don't quite live up to those of premium flagship devices like iPhones or Samsung Galaxy S9s.

In fact, the Key2 is more accurately described as a niche product that's aimed at die-hard BlackBerry fans who still love physical keyboards. And that's exactly where it shines. The keyboard on the Key2 is designed to evoke the same clicky feel as older BlackBerry models, and its responsive design makes it a joy to type on.

BlackBerry has long been known for its focus on productivity features, and the Key2 is no exception. With its emphasis on email, browsing, and other tasks, this device is perfect for those who want a smartphone that's easy to use but still powerful enough to handle their needs.

But BlackBerry's marketing efforts are not just about highlighting the device's specs - they're also about nostalgia. The company has released an ad campaign that plays on the idea of BlackBerry still being "a thing," and it's clear that the brand is trying to tap into that nostalgic love from years past. The ad is self-aware, even poking fun at itself a bit, which is a clever move that could help win back fans who thought the brand was dead.

For those who grew up with Blackberries and miss the old days, the Key2 may be just the device you've been waiting for. Its focus on keyboards and productivity features will appeal to fans of the classic BlackBerry experience, while its Android OS provides access to a vast library of apps. And at $649, it's not a bad price point for what you're getting.

In short, the Key2 is an interesting addition to the smartphone market, one that's aimed squarely at niche enthusiasts who still love physical keyboards. While it may not be the most powerful device on the market, its focus on productivity and nostalgia make it a compelling choice for those who want a phone that's easy to use but still has some character.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enit's my honor to officially unveil the Blackberry key2 we're here at the Blackberry key2 event I'm I actor with rer Chang Roger what's new with the Blackberry key to well with the Blackberry so you have to start by talking about the keyboard keyboard is completely redesigned the keys are 20% larger uh they're textured so you got better touch typing capabilities it's matte instead of glossy the old one on key one was actually glossy like what like like the old bubbly ones actually slip and slide on the keys frankly the key one keyboard felt a little cheap this is definitely a much nicer feeling keyboard Okay so we've got a 4 and 1/2 in screen touch screen it's running Android and we should have said this in the beginning yes Blackberry is still a thing can you explain the whole BlackBerry Limited versus BlackBerry mobile yeah so BlackBerry Limited Blackberry the original Blackberry that we all knew and love and grew up with uh they basically gave up on making phones they've uh since licensed out the Blackberry mobile name to Chinese company TCL they make television they also make phones in the al-adel brand now they're making Blackberry mobile phones they started a year ago with a key1 this is their followup this is the second version uh with the key2 let's talk about other Hardware changes we have a very similar design like you said 20% larger keyboard but we got two cameras on the back this time yes they're they're very proud toh boast of the first Blackberry with a dual camera setup never mind that most phones already have this most premium phones do this they they spend a lot of time talking about the portrait mode photos that you can take now now obviously these are features that have been around for most premium Flagship phones BlackBerry is just getting around to it but you know Blackberry is a little slow when it when it comes to things that aren't about the keyboard right so we've got that design change we've got the Dual uh cameras on the back we've got inside though it's not super topof the line we're talking about a Qualcomm 660 processor the major Flagship phones these days are running 845s that sounds like a lot I know the numers sound extremely different it's at least 200 that must be a big deal right well no look so Blackberry said if if you know in terms of your your normal tasks uh productivity tasks running emails browsing all that stuff you're fine but if you really want a multimedia Powerhouse this is not the phone for you yeah so where does this thing fit in with all kinds of phones you got Oppo phones you got OnePlus phones you've got Apple Samsung this is going to start at $649 for a 64 GB model with 6 GB of RAM which is insane so look the the specs here it's it's a little weird because it's sort of priced at that level right below the super premium phones like your iPhone or Galaxy S it's really closer to like a OnePlus or an LG phone Motorola phones uh but the specs aren't quite top tier they're they're a little bit as you mentioned with the Qualcomm Snapdragon processor it's a little bit lower than your standard premium phone even though they would try they're trying to frame this as as a premium phone so it's it's kind of a weird position it's really it's its own Niche product right like this is going after folks who are just DieHard fans of a physical keyboard let's talk a little bit about the Blackberry ad showing off the introduction of the key2 the ad is very self-aware it seems like they're making fun of themselves a little bit people saying oh Blackberry is still a thing without saying BlackBerry still thing it's a big I think it's actually a very smart marketing move what do you think about that no I think that tapping into the idea that you know I used still love my Blackberry the Blackberry there's there's a bit of nostalgia involved there it's it's it's kind of a smart move kind of bringing back that Blackberry love that we used to have we used to have this used to have some I used to have a lot of blackberry love I mean I wrote whole stories on my old blackberries so that reminds me back of back to the keyboard situation they were talking about the clickiness that the designers were worried about how well these Keys performed they compared it to the Blackberry Bold 9900 with a very beloved keyboard they got a lot of people in the crowds excited about that just the reference of the Bold 900 I remember the clickiness of those keys remember how responsive they were and the fact that they're using that as sort of the foundation for this keyboard definitely bodess well for it yeah I think they're trying to reach Di hards and I think this device while not like super top of the line like a $999 phone or something like that if you're into Blackberry into an actual keyboard this is one of the few phones that has a keyboard on it and it's running Android so you got thousands thousands of apps I mean millions of apps I guess well like I was saying this is not this is not a mainstream phone this is not a phone that's going after the same crowd as an iPhone Galaxy S9 this is really a niche Niche product this is going after folks who love keyboards uh and unfortunately there aren't a lot of other options out there so like this is it if you want a physical keyboard we're going to see how this thing performs in a full review so we'll have a lot more details of cet.com I'm my actar I'm Roger chain we'll see you guys laterit's my honor to officially unveil the Blackberry key2 we're here at the Blackberry key2 event I'm I actor with rer Chang Roger what's new with the Blackberry key to well with the Blackberry so you have to start by talking about the keyboard keyboard is completely redesigned the keys are 20% larger uh they're textured so you got better touch typing capabilities it's matte instead of glossy the old one on key one was actually glossy like what like like the old bubbly ones actually slip and slide on the keys frankly the key one keyboard felt a little cheap this is definitely a much nicer feeling keyboard Okay so we've got a 4 and 1/2 in screen touch screen it's running Android and we should have said this in the beginning yes Blackberry is still a thing can you explain the whole BlackBerry Limited versus BlackBerry mobile yeah so BlackBerry Limited Blackberry the original Blackberry that we all knew and love and grew up with uh they basically gave up on making phones they've uh since licensed out the Blackberry mobile name to Chinese company TCL they make television they also make phones in the al-adel brand now they're making Blackberry mobile phones they started a year ago with a key1 this is their followup this is the second version uh with the key2 let's talk about other Hardware changes we have a very similar design like you said 20% larger keyboard but we got two cameras on the back this time yes they're they're very proud toh boast of the first Blackberry with a dual camera setup never mind that most phones already have this most premium phones do this they they spend a lot of time talking about the portrait mode photos that you can take now now obviously these are features that have been around for most premium Flagship phones BlackBerry is just getting around to it but you know Blackberry is a little slow when it when it comes to things that aren't about the keyboard right so we've got that design change we've got the Dual uh cameras on the back we've got inside though it's not super topof the line we're talking about a Qualcomm 660 processor the major Flagship phones these days are running 845s that sounds like a lot I know the numers sound extremely different it's at least 200 that must be a big deal right well no look so Blackberry said if if you know in terms of your your normal tasks uh productivity tasks running emails browsing all that stuff you're fine but if you really want a multimedia Powerhouse this is not the phone for you yeah so where does this thing fit in with all kinds of phones you got Oppo phones you got OnePlus phones you've got Apple Samsung this is going to start at $649 for a 64 GB model with 6 GB of RAM which is insane so look the the specs here it's it's a little weird because it's sort of priced at that level right below the super premium phones like your iPhone or Galaxy S it's really closer to like a OnePlus or an LG phone Motorola phones uh but the specs aren't quite top tier they're they're a little bit as you mentioned with the Qualcomm Snapdragon processor it's a little bit lower than your standard premium phone even though they would try they're trying to frame this as as a premium phone so it's it's kind of a weird position it's really it's its own Niche product right like this is going after folks who are just DieHard fans of a physical keyboard let's talk a little bit about the Blackberry ad showing off the introduction of the key2 the ad is very self-aware it seems like they're making fun of themselves a little bit people saying oh Blackberry is still a thing without saying BlackBerry still thing it's a big I think it's actually a very smart marketing move what do you think about that no I think that tapping into the idea that you know I used still love my Blackberry the Blackberry there's there's a bit of nostalgia involved there it's it's it's kind of a smart move kind of bringing back that Blackberry love that we used to have we used to have this used to have some I used to have a lot of blackberry love I mean I wrote whole stories on my old blackberries so that reminds me back of back to the keyboard situation they were talking about the clickiness that the designers were worried about how well these Keys performed they compared it to the Blackberry Bold 9900 with a very beloved keyboard they got a lot of people in the crowds excited about that just the reference of the Bold 900 I remember the clickiness of those keys remember how responsive they were and the fact that they're using that as sort of the foundation for this keyboard definitely bodess well for it yeah I think they're trying to reach Di hards and I think this device while not like super top of the line like a $999 phone or something like that if you're into Blackberry into an actual keyboard this is one of the few phones that has a keyboard on it and it's running Android so you got thousands thousands of apps I mean millions of apps I guess well like I was saying this is not this is not a mainstream phone this is not a phone that's going after the same crowd as an iPhone Galaxy S9 this is really a niche Niche product this is going after folks who love keyboards uh and unfortunately there aren't a lot of other options out there so like this is it if you want a physical keyboard we're going to see how this thing performs in a full review so we'll have a lot more details of cet.com I'm my actar I'm Roger chain we'll see you guys later\n"