During CES 2018 TCL announced that it will be releasing a new variant of the BlackBerry KEYone. The new variant will come in the form of a Bronze Edition version and while the company has yet to specify exactly when it will become available, it is scheduled to arrive “later in Q1 2018.” In addition to not detailing the exact date of when this new version of the KEYone will arrive, TCL has also not provided any firm details on the pricing. Likewise, exact regional availability has not been explained beyond the company stating that it will be released “in select markets across Asia, Europe and the Middle East.” Therefore it is assumed that the BlackBerry KEYone Bronze Edition will not be making its way to the US. At least, not for the time being.
Besides the color change which is described as a “matte bronze finish” and confirmation this will be a dual-SIM-supported smartphone, there does not seem to be much else differing the new model from the original model which first debuted during last year’s MWC – event after being teased as the BlackBerry Mercury during CES 2017. Except that as this seems to be more aimed at an international market it is one which comes with an upgrade in RAM (to 4GB) and storage (to 64GB) as does the version which previously launched in China back in August of 2017. Otherwise, interested buyers can expect the standard KEYone experience which most notably includes the iconic BlackBerry physical keyboard. In addition to the same 4.5-inch display (which makes use of a 1620 x 1080 resolution), and a Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 SoC. Cameras will once again come in the form of a 12-megapixel rear camera coupled with an 8-megapixel front-facing camera. While a 3,505 mAh battery powers the device, along with Android 7.1 (Nougat) and a number of software tweaks designed to improve the security of the device.
Although it seems unlikely that this new version of the KEYone will make its way to the US, the company did also today announce US availability for its other major BlackBerry-branded smartphone, the BlackBerry Motion. With the confirmation the Motion will be available to buy online in the US for $449.99 starting from January 12.
