BlackBerry KEYone Pro Reviews

Opting for a smartphone with a physical keyboard requires accepting a few not-insignificant compromises. The KEYone’s primary argument is that, compared to an on-screen keyboard, its physical buttons take up less space: side-by-side with a full-touch 5.5-inch device, you end up with more visible screen remaining on the BlackBerry when typing on each. That may be theoretically true, but I do think it misses the point. The bigger buttons of a virtual keyboard help raise my accuracy; they can change to show different characters, emoji, and more. When I’m not typing, meanwhile, they disappear altogether, freeing up the display for whatever else I might want to see. In short, buy a phone with a physical keyboard if you want that, but do it because you simply prefer the tactile feel of it, not for any stab at screen efficiency.

BlackBerry KeyOne is a sophisticated-looking smartphone that resurrects a physical keyboard in the modern Android era. Its tactical QWERTY keyboard offers a dose of nostalgia, while its smart and secure software give businesses some peace of mind. Just know that the mid-range specs will only get you so far and its entertainment capabilities make this BlackBerry feel as if it clocks out at 5pm sharp when it comes to the fun stuff.

We'll freely admit that going back to hardware keys takes a bit of adjusting, but it's just so satisfying to type on all these clicky, responsive keys that you'll be looking for extra opportunities to do so – and that means that you'll be getting plenty of practice in. And when we stack on extras like app-launch shortcuts and using the keyboard as a touchpad to effortlessly scroll the phone's screen, that's only making a good thing better.

With its excellent hardware keyboard, BlackBerry's Android-powered KeyOne phone is a messaging marvel for a niche audience.