Goodbye, keyboard! The next TCL-made BlackBerry phone won't have the brand's most popular feature.
TCL, at IFA 2017 in Berlin, confirmed to Engadget that new hardware is in development and will debut in October.
It's an important time for TCL and BlackBerry. There was plenty of hype surrounding the KeyOne when the phone launched earlier this year, but the buzz has really faded away as other companies introduced their latest devices. Samsung's Galaxy S8 and LG's G6 attracted all the attention in the spring. Now, as it turns from summer to fall, TCL has to reset. Once again, Samsung and LG are preparing the releases of new flagships. So the BlackBerry brand needs something current of its own. TCL's answer is a more traditional device.
Details regarding the upcoming phone are scarce, but a TCL employee did share a couple of things.
A physical keyboard, which the company brought back for the KeyOne, won't be included. This unannounced device will have an all-screen front, water resistance, dust resistance, and around 26 hours of battery life on mixed use. Exact specifications will be shared at a later date, likely in late September or early October.
The next BlackBerry phone isn't going to be the first boasting an all-screen design. In 2016, the DTEK50 and DTEK60 were introduced. Those phones didn't have a physical keyboard like the majority of the devices being announced in recent years.
TCL believes consumers will look to BlackBerry for durability and longevity as those qualities, according to itself, are missing from Samsung and Apple's devices.
Source: Engadget
