Keyboard addicts, start your engines…
The BlackBerry KEYone is coming to the U.S. and Canada on the last day of May. That’s the official news out of TCL, purveyor of all things BlackBerry hardware these days. The phone was initially supposed to launch in April, but unforeseen delays pushed its release back to the edge of summer.
Back at MWC, BlackBerry Mobile said that the KEYone would cost $549 unlocked, and we can now confirm that there will be two models available at launch, one for AT&T and T-Mobile and another for Verizon and Sprint. The latter carrier will also reportedly stock the phone in stores later this summer, and BlackBerry Mobile is keeping the door open for other carriers, too, though none are being announced at the moment. More information on that front will be shared later in May.
Keyboard addicts can get the phone in just over a month.
More concrete are the KEYone’s release details for the Canadian market, which despite market share declines still has a sizeable following of BlackBerry loyalists. Also available starting May 31, the KEYone will be sold at Bell, MTS, Rogers, SaskTel and Telus Business (but not consumer) for $199 on a 2-year term, which likely translates to $699 outright. The phone goes up for pre-order on May 18.
The KEYone is a big deal for the nascent BlackBerry Mobile brand, which is putting a considerable amount of marketing power behind the phone. While its seemingly-antiquated design necessitates a stubbier screen than a typical smartphone, the excellent hardware keyboard feels perfect — just as it did years ago on older BlackBerry models. Reviews are coming soon, so stay tuned.
BlackBerry KEYone
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- BlackBerry KEYone hands-on
- BlackBerry KEYone specs
- The latest KEYone news
- KEYone vs. Priv: Battle of the BlackBerry keyboards
- Join the discussion in the forums
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