BlackBerry KEYone features fingerprint scanner built in to the QWERTY keyboard's space bar

One of the ingenious things about the BlackBerry KEYone, is the placement of the fingerprint scanner embedded inside the space bar on the keyboard. This is the first time that a biometric reader is found built into a phone's physical QWERTY keyboard. Part of that is due to the fact that not too many smartphones these days have a physical keyboard built in. The unique fingerprint scanner was created by a company called Fingerprint Cards AB. The latter worked with the hardware team at BlackBerry to get the job done.

In a press release that BlackBerry disseminated today, the company said that Fingerprint's touch sensor FPC1145 offers high performance with a small form factor providing "lightning fast authentication." The BlackBerry KEYone is the second 'Berry to feature a fingerprint scanner following the inclusion of the feature on the DTEK60. BlackBerry says that the FPC1145 sensor employed on the KEYone is a revolutionary robust fingerprint sensorthat works with both dry or wet fingers.


The BlackBerry KEYone will be released in April, priced at $549 USD. The company is accepting registrations that will alert those interested when the phone will be available to be pre-ordered.


The keyboard will feature flick typing, on-screen navigation using the QWERTY as a touchpad, and single-letter shortcuts.

source: BlackBerry