Crack is back: BlackBerry KEYone now on sale

CrackBerries rejoice: BlackBerry's Android-powered comeback device - the KEYone - is now on sale. Available exclusively through JB Hi-Fi, the KEYone will set you back $899 outright. If you order online, JB says the KEYone will ship within three days. According to retailer's "click and collect" tool, a number of stores around Australia have stock available for same day collection.

The KEYone is BlackBerry's first new smartphone since TCL Communication acquired the rights to the BlackBerry name. Blending Android, a 4.5-inch touchscreen display, and a classic BlackBerry keyboard, the KEYone is essentially a much more modern take on the BlackBerries of old.

The KEYone's keyboard takes inspiration from older BlackBerry devices, incorporating gestures similar to BlackBerry's old trackpad for faster messaging, web browsing and emails. 52 of the phone's buttons can be used as customisable shortcuts (hold "m" to launch email, for example), and spacebar also doubles as a fingerprint reader.

While BlackBerry isn't manufacturing its own smartphones anymore, it still makes the software. The KEYone runs a customised version of Android with a number of enhanced security features. These include a "hardware root of trust" where security keys have been added to the phone's processor, and a preloaded app for continuously monitoring the operating system and other applications for any potentially privacy and security risks.

Other key specifications include a 4.5-inch 1620x1080 display, a Snapdragon 625 processor, 32GB of expandable storage, 3GB of RAM, a 3,505mAh battery with quick-charging, a 12MP rear-facing camera, an 8MP selfie shooter, and an operating system based on Android Nougat 7.1.

Want to know more? Read our kickass review of the KEYone here. Want a new plan to go with your KEYone? Compare here!

Alex Choros

Managing Editor + Group Telco Editor | X | Instagram | Threads | LinkedIn

Alex Choros is the Managing Editor of WhistleOut Australia and an award-winning journalist. He's been writing about consumer technology for over a decade and is an expert on the Australian telco sector, to the point where he knows far too many phone and internet plans by heart. In addition to leading the WhistleOut editorial team, Alex is responsible for ruining the office Sonos with his troubled taste in music.

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