With the Key 3 5G, Blackberry could well reinvent the experience of the physical keyboard at a very acceptable price.
Contrary to popular belief Blackberry has not let the smartphone market down. The proof, its latest jewel, the Blackberry Key 3 5G promises to cause a sensation with its innovative physical keyboard and high-end performance.
It won’t be made by the original BlackBerry engineers, who by the way sold their patents and have mostly left the smartphone world to focus on smart car software and computer security.
The Blackberry Key 3 5G will be produced by the OnwardMobility company which bought the brand. OnwardMobility works with Foxconn, which manufactures most game consoles, but also Nokia, Xioami and old Blackberry phones. She wants to create a t
A new Blackberry that will bring the brand back into the big leagues.
We can still wonder if creating a phone with a physical keyboard is the best way to get noticed positively in 2021. Blackberry’s Key 3 5G is scheduled for the first quarter of 2021 at a price of around 700 euros.
| BlackBerry KEY2 128GB | |
 | $511.00 |
When will the Blackberry Key 3 5G be released?
OnwardMobility announced in mid-2020 that it would launch a new phone in North American and European markets in the first half of 2021. It may also ship to Asian markets, but likely at a later date.
However, the first semester has completely run out and we still haven’t seen the Key 3 5G. With the company lagging behind, we now expect the Blackberry Key 3 5G to hit the market in the coming weeks. The next Key 3 phone would probably appear during this third quarter.
According to the latest news from the CEO of OnwardMobility, the Key 3 5G could hit the market in June 2021.
Nothing has been said about the price of this phone. But we know that the Blackberry Key 2 cost around 600 euros when it was released. Considering the performance that the Key 3 could have and especially the tough competition, we can estimate that it will cost around 700 euros when it comes out.
OnwardMobility CEO says the Key 3 will be a premium phone.
Because it uses a different manufacturing process than most phones, the new BlackBerry 5G could be expensive to produce.
It might have a high-quality camera that will rival other high-end phones.
Blackberry Key 3 5G Technical Specifications
It will certainly support 5G and will work from the Android operating system. It is not yet known which version of Android it will use. It will be a phone intended for the general public but also suitable for work in business.
3 things to expect from the Blackberry Key 3 5G
It’s a little frustrating not knowing much about the Blackberry Key 3. But this is an opportunity for us to let go of what we expect from it.
1. A sliding QWERTY or QWERTY keyboard
We know the 2021 Blackberry Key3 5G will have a physical keyboard, but also that OnwardMobility and Foxconn will design it from the ground up. Rather than recycling the obscure designs of old BlackBerrys, we would like innovation on that side. A nice sliding AZETY keyboard that can only appear when needed would be ideal.
2. A Battery with At Least One Day Of Autonomy
Most high-end phones focus on camera quality and raw performance. Forgetting the autonomy of the phone. Blackberry could take advantage of this to stand out producing a phone that has a solid battery that charges super fast and keeps its charge for at least a day.
The BlackBerry Key2, despite some flaws, regularly lasted 25-35 hours. To achieve that level of performance today, the BlackBerry 5G would likely have to emulate the Moto G9 Power, which has a 6,000 mAh battery and two days of battery life at an affordable price.
3. Keyboard Shortcuts
Before the Blackberry brand went on hiatus, the latest phones had programmable shortcuts where you could open an app with a few quick touches. We’d really like to see that return, paired with Google Assistant on Android 11.
Keys to control our household appliances, for example, would be a significant plus.
We also hope the new Blackberry 5G will have great specs to ensure it can run apps fast, store all our files, and ensure a decent streaming experience.
Blackberry will certainly go all out on the Key 3, but it’s the keyboard that has to impress people to set it apart from the excellent Android phones already available.