A new, cheaper BlackBerry has arrived.
TCL – the Chinese electronics company that manufactures BlackBerry phones – announced on Thursday the BlackBerry Key2 LE, a $400 version of the high-end BlackBerry Key2 it announced earlier this summer.
The new device is almost identical to the BlackBerry Key2, with a few key differences: a lightweight frame, decreased battery life, and a slightly less powerful camera.
Here’s what it’s like.
The BlackBerry Key2 LE comes in three colors: slate, atomic, and champagne.
The BlackBerry Key2 only comes in black and silver.
Like the BlackBerry Key2, the new phone has USB-C charging ...
... and a headphone jack.
The BlackBerry Key2 LE runs Android 8.1 Oreo out of the box, just like the BlackBerry Key2.
There are a few key reasons that the BlackBerry Key2 LE is a budget version of the BlackBerry Key2. For one, it comes with less starting storage than the BlackBerry Key2.
The BlackBerry Key2 LE comes in two versions - 32 GB and 64 GB - with up to 256 GB of expandable storage.
The BlackBerry Key2 comes with more starting storage - 64 GB or 128 GB - but has the same amount of expandable storage.
It also gets less battery life. TCL says the BlackBerry Key2 LE can get about 22.5 hours of battery life. The BlackBerry Key2, on the other hand, can get up to two days of battery life, TCL says.
The two phones have a slightly different chip: the BlackBerry Key2 LE has the Snapdragon 636, while the BlackBerry Key2 has the Snapdragon 660.
Like its more expensive sister phone, the BlackBerry Key2 LE has a dual rear camera — but it has slightly lower specs.
The BlackBerry Key2 LE has both a 13 megapixel and a 5 megapixel lens on the back of the phone, and an 8 megapixel selfie camera.
The BlackBerry Key2 has two 12 megapixel rear lenses and also has an 8 megapixel selfie camera.
There's one more major difference between the BlackBerry Key2 LE and the BlackBerry Key2: the cheaper phone has a polycarbonate frame, which makes it lighter-weight and less expensive to make.
The BlackBerry Key2 LE costs $399 for the 32 GB model, and $449 for the 64 GB version.
