When the BlackBerry Keyone came out in May, it was perceived as the company's attempt to reinvigorate the brand. The device was showcased as an Android powered smartphone with BlackBerry's custom software and physical keyboard. Aside from a few minor tweaks in settings, the handset delivers a pretty solid performance.
The KeyOne was initially launched in the United States as a Sprint exclusive and is currently sold in silver. According to 9to5Google, another carrier will also start selling the device in Limited Edition. AT&T announced on Friday that it will start carrying the model but in an exclusive black version.
A refresher
The silver phone came was initially available through Sprint and via retailers as a GSM unlocked device. As mentioned, it features a new version of Android Nougat with a 4.5-inch screen and 1620 x 1080 pixel touchscreen. It is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor with a storage memory of 4GB RAM. It boasted a 12MP rear camera and has a massive battery life of 3,505mAh. In addition, it also has a fingerprint scanner built into the space bar. The buttons on the physical keyboard can also be made as custom shortcuts to open an app, go to settings, or even launch the Google Assistant.
It was designed and manufactured by TCL Communication instead of BlackBerry. As part of its plan to strengthen licensing efforts, the company decided to turn over design and marketing to its hardware partners.
TCL Communication is popular for its lineup of budget-friendly Alcatel phones. Although the BlackBerry KeyOne is not the most affordable handset with a price tag of $549, it is still cheaper compared to the previous smartphones.
AT&T availability
This is the first time the black model will be available in the United States since it was first released abroad.
While some may wonder whether the difference in color is enough to make a difference in sales, choosing the Space Black option makes sense. Perhaps the preference will boil down to a matter of personal style and choice where the color black is considered a classic staple.
Official availability of the handset through AT&T starts on September 1.
All the specifications for the AT&T model remain the same. The only difference compared to the Sprint model is the Space Black color option. The new smartphone appears to be similar in color to another limited version that was launched in India earlier this month. However, the unit released in India featured upgraded specifications over the base model. The phone will be sold for as little as $16.67 a month on a 30-month plan, which roughly totals $500.
