TCL Communication, one of the world’s leading mobile device makers, caught the attention of Mobile World Congress patrons this year with the launch of several handsets, including that all new BlackBerry KEYone.
TCL is known mainly for making and marketing Alcatel handsets, but it has now added BlackBerry KEYone following the inking of a licensing agreement with BlackBerry in late 2016.
TCL Chairman and CEO Tomson Li said that BlackBerry licensed its security software and service suite, as well as related brand assets, to TCL Communication, who would design, manufacture, sell and provide customer support for BlackBerry-branded mobile devices.
The 4G BlackBerry KEYone smartphone comes with key legacy features known to Blackberry users, yet goes miles beyond the traditional Blackberry device.
It, for instance, combines the touch screen with a typical physical Blackberry QWETY keyboard, providing users with a large input space in comparison to what one gets with the standard 5.5-inch full-touch-screen smartphone.
The phone comes with a 4.50-inch touchscreen display with a resolution of 1620 pixels by 1080 pixels at a PPI of 433 pixels per inch.
The BlackBerry KEYone is powered by 2GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor and it comes with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage that can be expanded up to 2000GB via a microSD card.
As far as the cameras are concerned, the BlackBerry KEYone packs a 12-megapixel primary camera on the rear and a 8-megapixel front shooter for selfies.
It runs Android 7.1 and is powered by a 3505mAh non removable battery. It measures 149.30 x 72.50 x 9.40 (height x width x thickness) and weigh 180.00 grams.
The BlackBerry KEYone is a single SIM and its connectivity options include Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth, NFC, FM, 3G and 4G, while sensors on the phone include Compass Magnetometer, Proximity sensor, Accelerometer, Ambient light sensor and Gyroscope.
The latest BlackBerry product was one of TCL’s highlights at MWC and it became an instant hit as soon as it was launched and received nine awards from media organizations, making it one of the most highlighted products at MWC.
The BlackBerry KEYone receved its first honor, the Top Picks award, from the authoritative UK-based technology media brand Tech Advisor, at the MWC. It was also the first award that Tech Advisor gave out at the event.
The phone was also awarded the Best of MWC 2017 by Pocket-lint, the largest independent product evaluation platform in the UK, for its unique design.
It also won the Best Business Hardware Award from IT Pro, a leading IT website in the UK, at the start of the MWC.
Meanwhile, at MWC, TCL also released the Alcatel A5 LED, the high-definition Alcatel A3 and the easy-to-use Alcatel U5 smartphones as well as the 2-in-1 Alcatel PLUS 12 tablet.