It also means you’ll be forced to always use the same keys, even when they appear to be changing in the upcoming Android P update. I find this a slightly strange design choice and one that wastes a good deal of space. Instead of being on the screen as they are in majority of other Android phones, they’re physical capacitive keys that light up when required. That’s to be expected, but it’s still worth noting.īelow the screen is the usual array of three Android navigation keys. This isn’t a device for watching YouTube videos in landscape and the experience of doing so is poor. Black levels are good, too, even though this is an LCD screen rather than OLED.ĭue to the fact that the keyboard sits below the screen, this phone is very much made to be used in portrait mode. It’s a nice, sharp and bright display with decent colour reproduction and excellent viewing angles. The Key2’s 4.5-inch 1080 x 1620 display is pretty much identical to the one in the KeyOne. That button remains, and it’s handy that it doesn’t force you to use it for just one thing – like the Bixby button on the Galaxy S9. This was odd, especially with the user-configurable shortcut button present too. The KeyOne’s power switch was positioned on the left. This is hindered further by the Key2 being a fairly sizeable phone – more comparable to the OnePlus 6 or Note 8 than an iPhone or ‘classic’ BlackBerry – so moving your finger between the keyboard and something at the top of the display requires a stretch.īlackBerry sticks with the headphone jack (I’d much rather it was located along the bottom edge rather than the top, however) and, thankfully, it’s shunted all the side-keys onto the right-hand side. I’d love there to be someway to select an item without having to remove my fingers from the keys. Having to constantly switch between the keyboard and display for input is a pain, even when you’re scrolling around with gestures. The usefulness of this feature also makes some of device’s shortcomings even more obvious. It isn’t something that happens every time, but it’s frustrating when it does. Often, the swipe gestures just won’t register. It’s a nice touch and one that becomes seriously useful once you become familiar with the phone. This lets you scroll up and down and side-to-side without reaching up to the display. The Key2, like the KeyOne before it, features gesture control built into the keyboard. Shortcuts have always been a staple of the BlackBerry series and if you’re willing to put the time in to learn and customise them then they’ll prove super-useful. It’s possible to set a different shortcut to each key, so if you frequent Maps, Instagram, Twitter and Gmail then you can jump between all of them without going back to the homescreen. For instance, if you set the ‘S’ key to open Spotify, then pressing the speed key followed by ‘S’ will open the app. Press it alongside a letter key and you can easily jump between apps. This keyboard is very much a job well done, but it definitely won’t be for everyone.Ī new button features on the keyboard, which BlackBerry has dubbed the speed key. Still, if you’re looking at the Key2 then you’ll probably already know that it works for you. I made many more mistakes whilst typing, too. Personally, I type noticeably quicker with a software keyboard jumping back to the Key2 certainly slowed me down. Whether or not you prefer a real keyboard over a virtual one will be a matter of personal preference. The keys are 20% larger, have a much gripper matte-coating rather than a glossy one and in general feel far nicer to type on. The keyboard clearly is the star of the show in the Key2, and it’s a huge improvement over the KeyOne. However, I won’t criticise BlackBerry too ferociously here: I was told during the launch of the Key2 that adding any sort of IP-rating to a device with a keyboard this intricate was currently very difficult. The Key2 lacks a water-resistance rating, so you won’t be knocking out an email during your morning shower. The Key2 isn’t going to trouble the iPhone X or Galaxy S9 for design awards – in my opinion, anyway – but that isn’t really the point of this device. This is fitting with the message that BlackBerry is trying to convey here this device isn’t flashy it’s functional. On the rear BlackBerry sticks with the rubbery plastic covering, rather than switching to a much less durable glass coating of the type seen on the majority of flagship phones in 2018. The flat sides make it easy to hold and the reduction in weight is most welcome – it just feels far more comfortable in the hand. The body of the Key2 is less curved, instead sporting sharper lines and corners. It’s slimmer, lighter and less intimidating than before, but without losing that classic BlackBerry identity. With the Key2, BlackBerry Mobile has put the device on a diet and given it a much-needed makeover. The KeyOne was a brute of a phone: thick, heavy and tough to hold.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |