The BlackBerry KEY2: A Review of the First BlackBerry Device Running Full Android

As I sit here with my new unit, I have to say that I'm impressed. The BlackBerry KEY2 is the first device from the iconic brand to run full Android, and it's a game-changer. Before I dive into the details, let me just say that our initial unit was defective, but we've received a new one, and it seems pretty good.

First things first, the BlackBerry KEY2 is running Android 5.1 Lollipop straight out of the box, with some added BlackBerry customizations on top. This means that users will get the full Android experience, complete with Google services like Google Play Store, Google Maps, and more, but with a few unique touches from BlackBerry.

One of the most significant advantages of using a physical keyboard is that it allows you to see the entire screen while typing. This is especially useful for those who prefer to type on a keyboard rather than a touchscreen. The BlackBerry KEY2's physical keyboard is no exception, and it's one of the best I've had the pleasure of using. Yes, you can type faster on a touchscreen, but there's just something about the tactile experience of typing on a physical keyboard that makes you feel more connected to your device.

Speaking of which, let's take a look at the hardware specifications of the BlackBerry KEY2. The device boasts a 5-inch curved screen, which is actually quite impressive. The back of the phone is also very grippy, making it easy to hold onto even when you're in rough conditions. And then there's the camera - an 18-megapixel shooter that's capable of taking some truly stunning photos, even in low-light conditions.

Now, let's talk about the keyboard itself. The BlackBerry KEY2's keyboard is one of its standout features, and it's definitely worth exploring. One of my favorite things about the keyboard is the ability to double-tap on it to enter cursor mode. This allows you to slide your finger across the keyboard to move the cursor, which is incredibly convenient. And if you swipe up from the home button, you'll get three shortcuts - Google Now, BlackBerry Hub, and whatever you want. The BlackBerry Hub itself is also a great idea, bringing all of your incoming emails, tweets, Facebook stuff, BBM, and more into one place.

Of course, no phone would be complete without some added software features. And the BlackBerry KEY2 is no exception. The device comes with a piece of software called D Tech, which gives you an overview of what's good and bad about your device. You can also swipe up from the home button to get three shortcuts - Google Now, BlackBerry Hub, and whatever you want. And then there's the camera - an 18-megapixel shooter that's capable of taking some truly stunning photos, even in low-light conditions.

As for specs, the BlackBerry KEY2 has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 processor, 3GB of RAM, 2GB of storage, and expandable storage. It's not exactly a powerhouse, but it should be enough for most users. And then there's the price - $699, which is certainly steep for some people. However, in the US, it's available on AT&T, so you may have more options depending on your carrier.

So, what do I think of the BlackBerry KEY2? Overall, I'm pretty impressed with the device. It's a great option for those who want a physical keyboard without sacrificing too much functionality. And with its unique software features and sleek design, it's definitely worth checking out. But don't just take my word for it - we'll be publishing a full review of this device soon, so stay tuned for more details.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enhey everybody beater with the verge here and you're probably seeing a bunch of reviews for the BlackBerry probe but ours isn't quite ready yet because our first unit was actually defective but we have a new one here and it seems pretty good so I just wanted to walk through seven quick things that I know and actually love about the BlackBerry print so the first thing is that it is the first BlackBerry device running full Android it is straight Android it's android 5.1 lollipop and it has some blackberry customizations on top the second thing to know and probably the most important thing is that it's a blackberry so it has a physical keyboard and the physical keyboard is pretty good as physical keyboards go yes you can type faster on a touchscreen but a physical physical keyboard lets you see the whole screen when you're typing which is really a nice advantage really quick about the hardware I think it's really good it's a five point four inch screen it's actually curved around the sides and the back is really Rippey when there's this 18 megapixel camera here it's really grippy so you can hold on to it and like I mean look at that I mean okay so the keyboard let's talk about that a little bit so we're going to jump into a compose message here in the hub and one of the things you can do is you can swipe up to just autocomplete letters and it's a little bit tricky so it doesn't always work but you can swipe down to just get symbols and then my favorite thing is you can DoubleTap on it and then you move into cursor mode and you can just slide your finger on the keyboard to move the cursor which is really convenient and now BlackBerry's added a bunch of software customizations on top of Android but they're really not that bad they're actually pretty good so it's secure there's a security out a piece of software called D Tech which tells you what is going good and bad with your device you can also swipe up from the home button to get three shortcuts Google now blackberry hub actually whatever you want and the BlackBerry hub itself is like a lot of good ideas it takes all of your incoming email and tweets and some Facebook stuff bbm and puts it in one giant bucket and you can set all kinds of crazy filters to do stuff on it really good idea although it's a little bit too much noise for me as far as specs go it has a Qualcomm 808 processor 3ds Ram two gigs of storage and it's expandable storage and the camera is an 18 megapixel camera which is actually pretty good even in low-light although I will say it's pretty slow so the last thing about the probe is it is short for the privilege of privacy which is about the corniest thing i've ever heard anybody say about a phone it is $699 which is pretty expensive and in the US it's available on AT&T we will have a full review of this thing very soonhey everybody beater with the verge here and you're probably seeing a bunch of reviews for the BlackBerry probe but ours isn't quite ready yet because our first unit was actually defective but we have a new one here and it seems pretty good so I just wanted to walk through seven quick things that I know and actually love about the BlackBerry print so the first thing is that it is the first BlackBerry device running full Android it is straight Android it's android 5.1 lollipop and it has some blackberry customizations on top the second thing to know and probably the most important thing is that it's a blackberry so it has a physical keyboard and the physical keyboard is pretty good as physical keyboards go yes you can type faster on a touchscreen but a physical physical keyboard lets you see the whole screen when you're typing which is really a nice advantage really quick about the hardware I think it's really good it's a five point four inch screen it's actually curved around the sides and the back is really Rippey when there's this 18 megapixel camera here it's really grippy so you can hold on to it and like I mean look at that I mean okay so the keyboard let's talk about that a little bit so we're going to jump into a compose message here in the hub and one of the things you can do is you can swipe up to just autocomplete letters and it's a little bit tricky so it doesn't always work but you can swipe down to just get symbols and then my favorite thing is you can DoubleTap on it and then you move into cursor mode and you can just slide your finger on the keyboard to move the cursor which is really convenient and now BlackBerry's added a bunch of software customizations on top of Android but they're really not that bad they're actually pretty good so it's secure there's a security out a piece of software called D Tech which tells you what is going good and bad with your device you can also swipe up from the home button to get three shortcuts Google now blackberry hub actually whatever you want and the BlackBerry hub itself is like a lot of good ideas it takes all of your incoming email and tweets and some Facebook stuff bbm and puts it in one giant bucket and you can set all kinds of crazy filters to do stuff on it really good idea although it's a little bit too much noise for me as far as specs go it has a Qualcomm 808 processor 3ds Ram two gigs of storage and it's expandable storage and the camera is an 18 megapixel camera which is actually pretty good even in low-light although I will say it's pretty slow so the last thing about the probe is it is short for the privilege of privacy which is about the corniest thing i've ever heard anybody say about a phone it is $699 which is pretty expensive and in the US it's available on AT&T we will have a full review of this thing very soon\n"