BlackBerry KEYone sales have turned out to be surprisingly strong, and to give them an extra little boost BlackBerry Mobile is releasing a new color of the phone with bumped specs around the world. The Black Edition, as you'd expect, has shed its silver and grey adornments for a full blacked-out look. It looks stealthy and clean, but you'll surely still stand out with that keyboard on the front.
More important than the color change is the addition of more RAM and storage in the Black Edition. You now get 4GB of RAM (up from 3GB) and a healthy 64GB of storage (up from 32GB). Everything else inside remains constant, meaning you'll get basically the same experience as the standard KEYone; the extra RAM will help keep a few more apps open and available, and offer a bit more runway for keeping things smooth throughout 2018 as well.
You'll pay at least a $100 premium for a black exterior and a bit more RAM and storage.
The Black Edition is initially launching in seven countries around the world by the end of September, with more to come by the end of the year across Europe, Asia and Latin America. At launch you'll be able to find it in the UK (£549), Germany (€649), France (€649), Canada ($799), UAE (2,299 AED), Saudi Arabia and Japan (¥79,800). Depending on the region that's roughly a $75 (or equivalent) bump in price over the MSRP of the original KEYone, but in the open market where it can currently be found for much less than the sticker price it may be a tough sell for some people to grab a full-price Black Edition.
It's worth noting that the KEYone Black Edition is not slated for a U.S. release at this time, and that the black-colored KEYone currently exclusive to AT&T isn't technically a "Black Edition" model. It's simply a black version of the standard KEYone with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage.
Press release:
TCL COMMUNICATION INTRODUCES THE BLACKBERRY® KEYone BLACK EDITION TO THE WORLD AT IFA 2017
BERLIN – August 31, 2017 – TCL Communication is today unveiling an all-new version of its award-winning BlackBerry KEYone with the introduction of the BlackBerry KEYone Black Edition coming soon to markets in Europe, North America, the Middle East and Asia. With today's announcement, TCL Communication's BlackBerry Mobile brand is responding to BlackBerry smartphone fans around the world who have asked for additional styling and performance options within the BlackBerry KEYone lineup. The BlackBerry KEYone Black Edition will go on-sale beginning in Q3 2017 initially in the U.K., Germany, France, Canada, United Arab Emirates (UAE), the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Japan starting at €649 EUR/£549 GBP/$799 CAD/2,299 AED/ ¥79,800. It will also be available in other markets in Europe, Asia and Latin America later this year.
"The global release of the BlackBerry KEYone from TCL Communication has far exceeded our expectations, with our re-imagined BlackBerry smartphone now available in more than 30 countries around the world; and more coming later this year," said Alain Lejeune, Global General Manager for TCL Communication's BlackBerry Mobile brand. "We're excited to follow our initial launch with the all-new BlacKBerry KEYone Black Edition that delivers on our promise to expand our BlackBerry smartphone portfolio in 2017, while laying the groundwork for another addition to our lineup later this year."
"The demand and excitement for the BlackBerry KEYone across the globe has been fantastic," said Alex Thurber, senior vice president and general manager of Mobility Solutions, BlackBerry. "We congratulate TCL Communications for bringing to market their second device so quickly, and know it will provide the performance and trusted security people expect from the BlackBerry brand."
BLACKBERRY KEYONE BLACK EDITION
Carrying the same distinct hardware design as the original BlackBerry KEYone, the all-new Black Edition comes with a matte black finished added to the device's aluminum frame offering a new style variant that fans around the world have been asking for since the original launch back in May. This new BlackBerry KEYone variant also features 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage, while still supporting microSD expandable storage up to an additional 2TB.
BLACKBERRY KEYONE PRODUCT HIGHLIGHTS
- Includes a 4.5-inch touch display featuring impact and scratch resistant Corning® Gorilla® Glass 4 offering the best in resilience and durability.
- Reimagined communication experience thanks to an innovative Smart Keyboard that allows you to set up to 52 customizable shortcuts and transform each letter key for quick access to your favorite apps and most important contacts. Includes the world's first keyboard-embedded fingerprint sensor conveniently located in the spacebar and provides added device security and convenience.
- Distinct BlackBerry smartphone powered by Android, with the familiarity and functionality of AndroidTM 7.1 Nougat giving users access to the entire Google PlayTM store and over one million apps.
- Unmatched battery life offering up to 26+ hours of mixed use, and Qualcomm® Quick ChargeTM 3.0 technology enables up to 50 percent charge in roughly 36 minutes.
- Pre-loaded with DTEKTM by BlackBerry, offering constant security monitoring and protection of your operating system and apps by letting you know when your privacy could be at risk and how you can take action to improve it. The BlackBerry KEYone will also receive regular monthly Android security updates, ensuring you have the safest and securest Android smartphone experience.
- Features a 12MP rear camera with an industry leading camera sensor (Sony IMX378) that captures sharp, crisp photos in any light. The wide aperture lens with large 1.55μm pixels and dual-tone flash ensures your photos will have superior color and clarity.
