{"id":342406,"date":"2017-06-01T02:26:51","date_gmt":"2017-05-31T18:26:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/techcrunch.com\/?p=1497623"},"modified":"2017-06-01T02:26:51","modified_gmt":"2017-05-31T18:26:51","slug":"with-the-keyone-blackberry-threads-the-needle-on-retro-smartphone-appeal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/people.utm.my\/asmawisham\/with-the-keyone-blackberry-threads-the-needle-on-retro-smartphone-appeal\/","title":{"rendered":"With the KEYone, BlackBerry threads the needle on retro smartphone appeal"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Next Story<\/p>\n

Porat: Google\u2019s \u201cbiggest risk is complacency\u201d<\/h4>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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The BlackBerry KEYone, which goes on sale in its home country of Canada today, is a weird device.<\/p>\n

But it\u2019s weird not because it wasn\u2019t designed in-house, and instead was handled by partner TCL; it\u2019s weird because it\u2019s strangely successful at pulling off an odd balancing act of combining modern functionality with the same kind of retro appeal Fujifilm has managed to infuse throughout their mirrorless camera lineup, with nostalgia for the earliest days of the smartphone, which are apparently far enough away that we can feel genuine nostalgia for them.<\/p>\n

Up until relatively recently, BlackBerry\u2019s attempts to hold on to its hardware keyboard heritage felt like grasping at a past that was sadly and irreversibly fading. Sure, you\u2019d get some fans among grey-haired C-Level execs who find the transition to touchscreen keyboards impossible to come to (ahem) grips with. But by and large, the world have moved on \u2013 to bigger screens, multitouch and a world of adaptable interfaces.<\/p>\n

But only a few years after BlackBerry\u2019s BB10 experiment fell flat, the KEYone, with its solid, relatively untouched version of Android, and with its trademark hard plastic keys, feels like an old friend you\u2019re glad decided to pay a visit. It probably has a lot to do with Android\u2019s own recent improvements (the KEYone is running Nougat, which is the most recent public release), but it\u2019s also a thoughtful coming of age that resists the urge to throw out the BlackBerry legacy, but also doesn\u2019t cling to closely to the company\u2019s hardware history.<\/p>\n

The KEYone has a good camera, for instance, which has never been something the BlackBerry brand was known for. It\u2019s using the same sensor as the Google Pixel, though its software means the KEYone still isn\u2019t among the very top of top smartphone camera ranks. Still, it\u2019s very capable and will probably be plenty for the KEYone\u2019s primary demographic, which is likely business people who don\u2019t want to have to double carry just to get a decent smartphone experience.<\/p>\n

As mentioned, the software is also good in that it\u2019s pretty much unremarkable. BlackBerry still wants you to use the Hub and BBM, but if you\u2019re not a huge fan of those, you can just as easily skip both. Plus, some of the company\u2019s software modifications are hugely useful, including the ability to swipe up on home screen icons for apps with widgets to get a quick glance without actually opening the apps.<\/p>\n

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Of course, I haven\u2019t forgotten about that hardware keyboard \u2013 this one feels like a BlackBerry signature text entry device, but if it\u2019s been a while since you used a BlackBerry with typing hardware, you might be pleasantly surprised by some of the upgrades. Like touch-sensitive keys that let you swipe up, down, left and right on the keyboard to scroll through content, including your Twitter feed, without obscuring the display. And keyboard shortcuts that are user assignable \u2013 a whopping two per key, since you can set one for both long and short press of every single letter. This is a tremendous time saving feature for quick-launching apps and performing other system functions with as few steps as possible.<\/p>\n

The KEYone achieves what seems incredibly unlikely; it makes a hardware keyboard on a smartphone feel like a novel innovation, rather than like something that we\u2019ve tried, thoroughly explored and moved beyond. Also, if you\u2019re an old BlackBerry user, that muscle memory kicks right in and you\u2019ll be clearing out your email debt with reckless abandon in no time.<\/p>\n

Other highlights from the KEYone include USB-C charging, and a quick charge mode that powers down non-essential tasks to make your device recoup power faster, as well as an assignable hardware button that you can set to do anything. Mine\u2019s tuned to launch Android Assistant (aka Voice Search), and it\u2019s incredibly useful in general. Plus, every key on the keyboard is also still a custom quick launcher.<\/p>\n

The KEYone starts at $0 on contract with a range of Canadian carriers, including Bell, Rogers and Telus, depending on what incentives you quality for. It\u2019s also going to be available unlocked for $729, which is up there with the top premium phones, but which \u2013 and I can\u2019t believe I\u2019m saying this about a BlackBerry in 2017 \u2013 actually seems justified given just how much I\u2019ve actually enjoyed using the KEYone so far.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\"\" But it’s weird not because it wasn’t designed in-house, and instead was handled by partner TCL; it’s weird because it’s strangely successful at pulling off an odd balancing act of combining modern functionality with the same kind of retro appeal Fujifilm has managed to infuse throughout their mirrorless camera lineup, with nostalgia for the earliest days of the… Read More<\/a><\/p>\n

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