Carphone Warehouse, Selfridges start taking pre-orders for the BlackBerry KEY2

Yesterday, the BlackBerry KEY2 was unveiled and it now can be pre-ordered online from a couple of U.K. based stores. First up is Selfridges, which is a chain of high-end department stores. The latter is accepting pre-orders for the KEY2 until June 27th. Priced at $649 in the states, the phone costs £579.00 in the U.K. In addition to Selfridges, Carphone Warehouse is also accepting reservations for the KEY2. Both color options (Silver or Black) are available, and the KEY2 will ship near the end of this month.

The BlackBerry KEY2 features a 4.5-inch LCD display with a 1080 x 1620 resolution. Under the hood is the Snapdragon 660 Mobile Platform carrying an octa-core CPU running at a clock speed of 2.2GHz. The Adreno 512 GPU handles graphics. 6GB of RAM is inside along with 64GB/128GB of internal storage. For the first time ever, a dual camera setup is found on the back of a 'Berry (12MP + 12MP), and an 8MP selfie camera can be found in front. A 3500mAh battery helps users obtain up to two days of usage with a single charge, and Android 8.1 is pre-installed.

Pre-orders in the U.S. will take place sometime later this month. Somehow, we get the feeling that unlike the KEYone, the sequel will find a much larger number of interested consumers. First of all, the QWERTY has keys that are 20% larger and the new smart key will allow users to jump from app to app in the wink of an eye. The long battery life (up to 48 hours) should also attract buyers. Overall, the KEY2 looks so unique that those who like to own a phone that is different will instantly be attracted. It would have been nice if the KEY2 carried an IP 67 or 68 certification rating, but the design of the phone prevented this. Still, the KEY2 will stand up to sweat and light rain.

If you're interested in pre-ordering the KEY2 from Carphone Warehouse or Selfridges, click on the appropriate sourcelink below.

source: Selfridges, CarphoneWarehouse via CrackBerry