BlackBerry teases new Key 2 phone that'll likely have a QWERTY keyboard
Alright, try not to giggle too hard: A new BlackBerry is coming.
In a post on Twitter, BlackBerry announced that its next smartphone, the "Key 2," will be unveiled on June 7 at 10 a.m. ET in New York.
BlackBerry shared the tweet in the most millennial (are they courting hip young kids again?!) way possible: with emoji.
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Beyond the "An Icon Reborn" message and the name of the device, the post doesn't reveal any other details.
However, putting on our detective hats, we can piece together a few things. First, the Key is almost definitely a successor to last year's KeyOne.
The KeyOne was surprisingly refreshing because it felt like the anti-smartphone. As the guy who reviewed the phone for Mashable, I was pretty impressed.
It's chunky, but sleek. It has a physical QWERTY keyboard at a time when no other phone maker includes one on their devices. The camera is pretty good (for a BlackBerry), battery life is solid, and it runs full Android.
How can the Key 2 improve on the KEYone? Well, the specs need to be upgraded and dual cameras would be a welcome addition.
Oh, whoa, what's this? This is the internet and there are already leaks that might show us what the Key 2 looks like before the announcement next month? Of course there are.
TENAA, the Chinese regulatory organization that provides certification for devices before they're sold, posted several images of what appears to be the Key 2:
The images also match up with several other leaks. Purported images of the Key 2 were posted to Slashleaks:
And, finally, a close-up shot of the keyboard was posted to CrackBerry forums:
So, yeah, the BlackBerry Key 2 is coming. Any questions? Let's be real, it's probably going to be a decent phone, but do you really need a QWERTY keyboard? Does anyone really want it in 2018? We shall see.
Raymond Wong is Mashable's Senior Tech Correspondent. He reviews gadgets and tech toys and analyzes the tech industry. Raymond's also a bit of a camera geek, gamer, and fine chocolate lover. Before arriving at Mashable, he was the Deputy Editor of NBC Universal's tech publication DVICE. His writing has appeared on G4TV, BGR, Yahoo and Ubergizmo, to name a few. You can follow Raymond on Twitter @raywongy or Instagram @sourlemons.
