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BlackBerry KEYone market release delayed, now shipping after May

By Cosmin Vasile

Updated: Mar 31, 2017, 10:03 AM

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BlackBerry KEYone market release delayed, now shipping after May

BlackBerry fans must have been disappointed to learn that the new KEYone smartphone, teased back in January at CES 2017 and introduced one month later at MWC 2017, will not be shipping within a month since the official announcement.

Chinese company TCL announced back in February that the BlackBerry KEYone should be available globally starting April. Unfortunately, the market release timeframe of the smartphone has been moved to May.

BlackBerry's CEO John Chen confirmed during the company's earning calls that the KEYOne will be in production at the end of April, which means it will not arrive in stores until after May.

We just launched two phones, or we helped our partners launch two phones. One in Indonesia and that one is shipping already. The second one, that TCL announced at Mobile World Congress which is the physical keyboard on an Android, that one is not going to be slated to ship until probably the May timeframe. I think the first manufacturing production run is at the end of April. So the product looks pretty good, but the worldwide availability is going to be later than May.

The new release date applies to all markets, so if you've been waiting for your pre-ordered BlackBerry KEYone smartphone to arrive in April, you'll most certainly be even more disappointed.

If you're thinking to buy the BlackBerry KEYone, depending on your location, you can get it for $550 in the United States, €600 in Europe, or £500 in the United Kingdom.

source: BlackBerry via MobileSyrup, CrackBerry Forums

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Cosmin, a tech journalist with a career spanning over a decade, brought a wealth of experience to PhoneArena. His expertise lies in brands like Samsung and Nokia, and he has a keen interest in innovative technologies. After a brief stint in PR, Cosmin returned to tech journalism in 2016, committed to delivering clear and objective news. When he's not writing or appearing as a guest on TV and radio shows, Cosmin enjoys playing RPGs, watching Netflix, and nurturing his passion for history and travel.