BlackBerry KEY2 - Living With a Physical Keyboard By Hardware Canucks

Wow, these pictures- man, I love this camera yo, yo. Guess where I just got done, did you clean your car? Nope I just got 28 emails done on this blackberry really I mean don't you need to work on a computer for that kind of stuff? No I'm telling you man, the physical keyboard on this blackberry is definitely something worth checking out here, wanted to give it a shot. Oh, cool man, thanks. So this is the BlackBerry key2, the successor to the BlackBerry Kane. That I was very fortunate to test out last year. I did get some hands-on time with this device during launch and, quite frankly, I had mixed feelings about this particular smartphone and how well would it compete with the rest of the Android flagship smartphones in 2018, especially considering it's $650 price tag that is expensive.

You know it's a premium price to pay for a smartphone of this caliber, but either way I've been using the key2 for about a month, and it has been an interesting experience, quite frankly, similar to the Kane, so I'll be spending the majority. This video talking about using the physical keyboard on Android smartphone in 2018. What's it like adapting a lifestyle, that's completely different from a typical average Android smartphone. So let's discuss all right. So let's talk about some of the improvements that BlackBerry has done to the key2 when compared to the Kane in terms of the physical keyboard.

So from a material finish, it's now matte black versus a glossy plastic finish from the key one. So this does a few things one. It helps a little with the grip. So if you're typing on the smartphone, you would notice that you'd actually be able to hit all those buttons easily, because there's that extra texture that adds- and it really complements the typing experience, and obviously it doesn't get greasy as fast as plastic. So I, really like the matte finish plus again, it aesthetically looks really nice with the device blends in really well with the aluminum unibody frame so from a design standpoint, I love what blackberry has done in terms of the material choice for the physical Keys.

The buttons are a little bigger than last year's model, so they do complement the typing experience. The tactile feedback is excellent. Again, it is an awesome experience when you're composing emails once you're used to it, there's a less room for typos, because it is a physical keyboard with individual buttons, so you can feel them as you're typing them over something like a virtual keyboard where you just sort of tapping on the glass do not that the phone doesn't vibrate when you're typing on the physical keyboard. But rather you get this tactile sort of experience. The act returns are pretty short, yet they're defined the space bar key still acts as a fingerprint reader, which is a great implementation in the first place, where job library, for still keeping that the speed key is a new feature that has been added to the key to so.

This essentially allows the user to quickly switch between apps without having to go through the home screen, and it is programmable, so, for instance, I can assign I for Instagram F for Facebook C for Chrome or G for Gmail and I can access those apps by holding down the speed, key and pressing those respective buttons. It's a cool feature. A customized ability is just endless with all these 52 buttons you can assign them with to a certain app. But personally, I haven't really taken advantage of this feature because I'm so used to exiting out of the app and looking for other apps and accessing them. But I don't want to hear your thoughts on speak.

What do you guys think about it? Is it a cool faster way to access apps switch apps in particular, flick typing is still present, consider it as an autocorrect functionality with G, port or I, guess a Blackberry version of that. So you can flip up to register your desired word or flip back to erasing. It's quick and fast. It works really well, it's pressingly better than G board. If I'm being fairly honest now, the presence of this physical keyboard is a godsend.

When it comes to multitasking, you can have a YouTube video playing at the top and have your mail app below, and you can start composing your email without any unnecessary interruptions. So, for instance, on my pixel 2 I tried opening up a YouTube video on the top and, of course, I tried composing an email, but right now, when you look at it, I'll have the virtual keyboard sort of taking half the screen, and then I have my email. But then the video is completely cut off. So you know from a realistic screen to body ratio. It just doesn't make any sense when it comes to multitasking, especially for this particular feature, but for the key ? it works really.

Well, because the screen size is just perfect for that split view. So yeah I, think overall, the execution when it comes to multitasking is just a lot better on the key -. It makes a lot more sense than key ? when compared to something like an Android smartphone or, for instance, a pixel do and get in this case. The scroll feature is still present, but it's not that big of an improvement compared to the Kane. It works pretty well with some apps and not so much with others, for example, with Google Docs.

It skips like 50 lines with just a gentle swipe now I thought that the center area, this keyboard West world sensitive, but having used a smartphone in one hand, I realized that the whole keyboard is sensitive, and it doesn't have any palm rejection. So, if I hold this keyboard, pretty stiffly like that I have noticed times when the screen would just keep scrolling up and down in a faster manner, and it just takes away that whole experience when you're viewing content, if you're just reading up something online, so yeah, that's just something that I want to mention. Speaking of one-hand operation. That was quite the challenge with the key 2. In fact the Kane as well typing.

Again, it gets significantly slower, especially when you are trying to reach a secondary number keys. It is again very highly inefficient. I think the physical keyboard is really geared towards two-hand operation. You really need to use both of your thumbs for the fastest experience now, considering that this is a physical keyboard, glide typing is totally out of question when you compared to other Android smartphones, with a virtual keyboard featuring that. So, if you're looking for something with one hand, operation or something that you can quickly compose text with key to is definitely not for you, because I can quickly compose texts and emails with that feature.

I should also mention that I've run into times when I would accidentally hit the home screen or the home button when I'm trying to reach for the T or the Y one of the keys at the top row. So that gets a little, knowing, especially when you're trying to type up something and I think part of this has to do with how sensitive the capacitor, where the navigating buttons are, which are capacitive by the way, so that I did find a little. Annoying so do keep that in mind. If you're an emoji lover, then the BlackBerry key2 is certainly not for you, because by default device uses the BlackBerry keyboard, so the emoji collection is fairly limited plus it opens up a half of the screen real estate. If you were looking for a certain emoji.

So again, it really takes away from that experience, but you don't have the option to search for a particular emoji or even a gift. Now, if you were to compare this to something like G board, it is of a larger collection because it gets constantly updated, and I would much rather prefer G board over the BlackBerry keyboard. Just because the collection is there now you could technically use G board on the key2, it's just a matter of switching back and forth between the BlackBerry keyboard and G board, and that can be done automatically within the notifications tab where, when you're, trying to compose a text or an email it'll automatically pop up, it's just a matter of your user preference. The only issue is that, when you're trying to use the secondary functions, you'll have to hold the shift. Key and you know compose or hit that secondary function button, whether that's a number or, if you're, trying to capitalize a certain letter, but when you're using the BlackBerry keyboard accessing the secondary functions, it's just a matter of simply hitting the alt or the shift just once, and you'll be able to use those secondary keys.

So that's something to keep in mind again it's possible, but personally I, just don't think it's a feasible option. So, having discussed my experience using the physical keyboard on the key2, what are some workarounds when it comes to using the device in general when it comes to other tasks? Well, let's start with the display. It is a significant compromise for someone who heavily invest their time on phones, consuming content. The lack of front-facing speakers I mean I, really wish if the earpiece acted as a left channel. Just to add that extra kick when it comes to watching a video or something as the bottom facing one can be easily muted and, of course, there's a lack of water resistance.

Remember if water gets into this device through the tiny gaps, the phone's functionality is pretty much compromised. Last but not least, there's a lack of wireless charging, so there are a lot of compromises, and it's a drawback with the key2 and I think someone who's willing to invest six hundred fifty dollars on something like the key2 should really you know, look at their existing lifestyle and see themselves or start analyzing, probably put together a pros and cons list and see hey what are some of the features that I see myself using with the key2? What are some features? I? Don't really care what I don't really use so yeah. That's that's that the display is pretty much the same size as the Kane. You get the same 4.5 inch, 16 20 by 1080, IPS display color reproductions, just as expected, they're, good viewing angles and a balanced contrast ratio. It's again nowhere closer to the saturation levels found on Sam flagships.

It's not a super-bright panel. I'll, be honest, so viewing outdoors might be a little of a challenge. Battery life in one word is exceptional. It features a 3500 William hour battery the exact same capacity as its predecessor. I was easily able to get through a couple of days with a single charge under casual use, and this involves checking my email browsing.

The web, checking up on social media like Twitter and Instagram and messaging as well. Now, if you're, a heavy user, say, for example, you consume a lot of media content, then you can certainly get through a day and a half worth of use on the key2 I, don't think you'll be able to kill the battery in a single day just because the way how they've built this device in terms of the specs and how efficient it is. It's pretty interesting because you've got a smaller display, a pretty efficient processor, and so all of these things sort of work hand-in-hand to give you that perfect battery life now I just want to quickly go over the software experience on the blackberry, k2, so out of the box. Blackberry has loaded it with Android 8.1 Oreo, and it is expected to receive the Android P update later on now, from an OS perspective, nothing really has changed from the Kane you're, getting the exact same sort of bloatware apps like BBM, blackberry, hub and a few other applications that are, of course, preloaded on the phone, but I really don't see myself taking advantage of them, then there's the Locker app, which I found to be particularly interesting, because it's a pretty important feature and actually one of the key selling features of the key2. Essentially it's a private hub that lets you add certain apps folders documents or even pictures with your fingerprint verification.

In my case, I had my banking app set up so every time I open them, it would have to, or I would have to authenticate the startup with my fingerprint, it's an added layer of security, in my opinion, and if you're with someone who's working in the corporate world, where you're dealing with a lot of confidential files photos and all the other kind of stuff. This is something that you could take advantage of, where you would obviously need that extra authentication to access those files so kudos to Blackbird, for including that, and I really wish. If other Android smartphones would be able to directly integrate that I'm sure third-party apps are available, but still it would be pretty cool to have that out of the box, and the last thing that I want to discuss here is the camera performance on the key2, and this probably going to be a short segment, but I'll say right now, it's pretty terrible I mean look at these pictures. It is definitely like it's coming from a smartphone, that's 150 to 200 dollars rather than a $650. Smartphone I mean these pictures.

They don't do any justice. You know the sensor doesn't do a perfect job. Exposing for the highlights, HDR doesn't really work. That well I mean eyes left all these settings in auto mode. I thought HDL would do some justice, but that was not the case.

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They just went a little too far there when it comes to pricing, really wish. If this phone, or I would, I wish that this phone was surprised somewhere between 450 and 550, I, think that would have been a pretty cool sweet spot for this particular device, because at 6:50, when you look at the competition, it is just it's. It doesn't make any sense here than one plus six, the Google Pixel 2 and a few other smartphones as well. So the key2 doesn't really compete with those regard with those come with those flash chips. But if you take pricing out of the equation, then this is a unique device, in my opinion, first and foremost, the physical keyboard.

It really is an awesome feature or a unique design implementation when it comes to a Productivity. If you want to get work done, if you're someone who's scripting on the golf you're writing a lot of emails, if you're, basically spending the majority of your time outdoors, you know working and just getting work done. I think the physical keyboard will really come in beneficial. It just makes a lot more sense, especially when it comes to multitasking, and you know less room for typos compared to G born on my pixel, to which I'm really frustrated with so yeah when it comes to productivity in general. Key2 is an excellent option and there also the security features that are built into the key2, which just takes things up a notch, especially with D Tech and the way how it handles and scans all the apps.

In the background for whether if it's accessing your microphone, your camera, it's just really awesome, and I'm going to end on this note: no one's going to buy the key2 for the best possible display. You know the best cameras or the best content consumed experience. That's not what the too is really cute towards. It really is a wart machine if you want to get work done. This is what you should probably look into, but you could still get them done on your smartphones.

It's just that this would help. The physical keyboard will really help elevate that experience and, of course, you know considering the drawbacks. Those are some of the things that you'll have to consider when you're looking into something like the key2, but I'd love to hear your thoughts on this device. What do you guys think about it? Does it have its place, or is it worthy enough to compete with the rest of you know the Android smart forms of 2018. Let me know in the comments down below I'm a bar with Hardware Canucks.

Thank you so much for watching, and we'll see you in the next one.

Source : Hardware Canucks