The first smartphone to be launched during the MWC 2017 is the BlackBerry KEYone. Its appearance in the market would surely draw some comparison to the BlackBerry Priv that was released in the U.S. in 2016.
Both devices have ditched the older BlackBerry OS in favor of Android and the launch of the BlackBerry KEYone brings the question: is it better that the BlackBerry Priv?
Here's a look at the specs and features of the BlackBerry Priv and BlackBerry KEYone to help you decide if it is worth upgrading to the new mid-range smartphone.
Design
Both the BlackBerry smartphones boast a metal body and a textured rear surface to ensure better grip. However, a notable difference between the two is that the BlackBerry KEYone ditches the slide out QWERTY keypad that is featured in the BlackBerry Priv. It has a QWERTY keypad, but not a slide out but physical one. Whether this change will receive a thumbs up from consumers remains to be seen.
Display
The BlackBerry Priv sports a 5.4-inch AMOLED display supporting Quad HD (2560 x 1440 pixels) resolution. On the other hand the BlackBerry KEYone comes with a 4.5-inch IPS display with FHD (1620 x 1080 pixels) resolution. Both the smartphones deploy Corning Gorilla Glass 4 for protection.
The BlackBerry KEYone has a pixel density of 433ppi versus the 540ppi of the Priv.
Not only does the newer smartphone have a smaller screen size, but also an inferior resolution when compared to the BlackBerry Priv. The higher resolution quality as well as a bigger screen makes the BlackBerry Priv a better choice in this regard.
Processor And GPU
The BlackBerry KEYone is powered by an octa-core Snapdragon 625 chipset, clocked at 2 GHz. It also boasts an Adreno 506 GPU.
By comparison, the BlackBerry Priv houses a hexa-core Snapdragon 808 processor, which is clocked at 1.8 GHz. It houses the older Adreno 418 GPU.
For everyday multi-tasking purposes, the Snapdrgon 625 is said to be better of the two, whereas those looking gaming will get more out of Snapdragon 808. That said, how the two CPUs fare in the real world can only be determined by speed tests, which will reveal which one is more responsive.
RAM and Memory
The competition in this regard is on even keel between the two devices as both come with 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of internal storage, which can be expanded up to 2 TB.
Operating System
The BlackBerry KEYone will come pre-loaded with Android 7.1 Nougat, whereas the BlackBerry Priv is on Android 6.0 Marshmallow. The latter is yet to get updated to the latest Android Nougat update.
The new BlackBerry KEYone clearly has the edge in this regard and consumers looking to get a taste of Android Nougat would be eyeing the newer offering from the company.
Camera
In the context of camera capabilities, the BlackBerry Priv betters the KEYone thanks to the former's 18MP rear-facing camera vis-à-vis the latter's 12MP one.
On the other hand, the BlackBerry KEYone offers a better front-facing camera when compared to the BlackBerry Priv. The new smartphone boasts an 8MP secondary camera vis-à-vis the older handset's 2MP one.
Consumers who love taking selfies or video chatting would prefer the BlackBerry KEYone over the Priv. Those who want a primary camera with a higher resolution would lean toward the BlackBerry Priv.
Battery Capacity
The BlackBerry KEYone possesses a slightly better non-removable battery of 3505 mAh, which supports Quick Charge 3.0. However, the handset will not support wireless charging functionality. The BlackBerry KEYone can be charged 50 percent in just 36 minutes thanks to this technology.
By comparison, the BlackBerry Priv houses a smaller non-removable 3410mAh battery with Quick Charge 2.0.
However, even though the BlackBerry KEYone has a slightly bigger battery of the two and Quick Charge 3.0 support, it does not offer wireless charging support unlike the Priv (support offered only in the U.S.).
The absence of wireless charging capability in the KEYone may make it less appealing to consumers in the U.S.
Price
The BlackBerry Priv is currently retailing at $499 on BlackBerry's online store, but was launched for $700. The BlackBerry KEYone has just been launched and the company has started a registration process for interested buyers. The smartphone will retail for $549.
The BlackBerry KEYone is not only cheaper at launch when compared to the Priv, but also brings a new security feature - a fingerprint sensor - which was notably missing in the latter.
The BlackBerry Priv was deemed a failure owing to high return rates and low demand. The company would be hinging its hopes on the BlackBerry KEYone to turn things around. Judging by the specs, the new mid-ranger betters the older flagship on many counts and could improve the company's fortunes.
