Hong Kong based TCL Communication, a smartphone manufacturer and BlackBerry licensing partner has unveiled its latest BlackBerry branded smartphone.
TCL snapped up the exclusive rights to produce and distribute BlackBerry branded smartphones outside of India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh and Indonesia in 2016, after BlackBerry decided to exit the smartphone hardware market to focus on its security software operations.
TCL's newest BlackBerry branded smartphone, the BlackBerry KEY2 LE, will be available in Hong Kong from Thursday at 1O1O outlets and retailers.
The Android-based BlackBerry KEY2 LE includes a full HD, 2.5D display, is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon mobile processor, and has with 4GB of memory and 64GB of storage.
The device uses the signature BlackBerry physical keyboard - complete with a customizable “Speed Key” capable of supporting 52 shortcuts for faster navigation - the Firefox Focus privacy focused web browser, and BlackBerry's DTEK mobile security application.
Power management is a unique selling point of the new smartphone. The BlackBerry KEY2 LE supports for the Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 technology, which can provide a 50% charge in around 36 minutes, as well as Boost mode charging and a contextual battery reminder feature to recommend the optimal times to charge the device.
“Today’s smartphones try to offer a one size fits all solution, but that is no longer realistic when we have a global marketplace as diverse as we have today,” TCL Communication SVP and BlackBerry Mobile president Alain Lejeune said.
“But this is why we focus on making modern BlackBerry smartphones like KEY2 LE, to stand out and deliver a great experience for everyday communication, with access to all the features, connectivity and applications our customers expect.”
First published in Computerworld Hong Kong