Thanks in part to the Clicks keyboard case, which adds a physical QWERTY to certain iPhone, Pixel, Galaxy, and Razr models, there has been something of a demand for a smartphone with a real keyboard, not just a virtual one. Unihertz, whose original Titan was a clone of the BlackBerry Passport right down to the 4.5-inch, 1440 x 1440 resolution square display and the wide physical keyboard, released a Titan 2 earlier this year via a Kickstarter campaign.
Return of the BlackBerry
A company called Zinwa Technologies, this past summer, raised the temperature of BlackBerry aficionados by announcing plans to take old BlackBerry models, replace the application processor (AP) with a more up-to-date chipset, install Android 13 to replace the BlackBerry Operating System, and increase the amount of internal storage. The first phone to undergo this process is the BlackBerry Q20 (AKA the BlackBerry Classic), which will be called the Zinwa Q25 Pro and carry a $420 price tag.
The Zinwa Q25 Pro will be powered by as MediaTek G99 SoC and sport 12GB of RAM compared to only 2GB on the original model. 256GB of internal storage is included, up from 16GB on the model originally released by BlackBerry. The Q25 Pro will feature a 3000mAh battery, up from the 2515mAh battery found in the BlackBerry Q20. The phone will ship this month.
Specs for the Zinwa Q25 Pro. | Image credit-Linkapus.com
The next BlackBerry to get modernized will be the BlackBerry Passport. The Passport remains popular to this day, with many unsold and refurbished units still changing hands. With the big display and the unique hybrid physical and virtual keyboard, the Passport is a unicorn and might have been too much of one to catch on when originally released in 2014. An outstanding phone for business types and others, the wider display allows users to see more of a spreadsheet that has been photographed, or an X-ray that has been shared.
Unfortunately, the lingering demand for the Passport means that Zinwa cannot source enough Passport cases and is selling the Passport revision as a kit that will be marketed as the P26. That means that you'll have to settle for revising your own Passport instead of purchasing one already "modernized." It should be pointed out that Zinwa is also offering a $300 kit for the BlackBerry Q20. The P26 kit for the Passport will work with the first-generation model only and cannot be used with the Passport Silver Edition.
Could a new BlackBerry phone survive in 2025?
Kevin Michaluk, founding editor of CrackBerry and a co-founder of the Clicks keyboard case, started a petition drive at BingBackBlackBerry.com. Michaluk wants to see if there is enough interest from consumers to revive the BlackBerry name on a series of modern phones with up-to-date specs and a physical keyboard. While BlackBerry has divested itself of the assets it would need to resume designing and producing smartphones, Kevin said that if he finds that there is enough demand, he would be interested in putting together a licensing deal or a partnership to bring back BlackBerry phones.
Would you buy a phone with a physical QWERTY?
Yes. I might type faster and more accurately.
76.92%
I actually type faster using a virtual QWERTY.
23.08%
A new BlackBerry phone would face the same challenges that caused BlackBerry to drop making phones to concentrate on software and security. The number of consumers interested in using a physical QWERTY is overwhelmed by the number who prefer a virtual keyboard. Additionally, a new BlackBerry model would need to take on the iPhone, Pixel, and Galaxy cameras.
The wide-screen BlackBerry Passport. | Image credit-Walmart
Despite the success of the Clicks keyboard case, a new BlackBerry would need to show consumers why they need to use a physical keyboard instead of a virtual one. At one time, telling consumers that it is easier to write long messages on a physical QWERTY might have been enough. But after 18 years of tapping on glass (Sorry, Steve Ballmer), most smartphone users have become rather adept at writing quickly and accurately using a virtual keyboard.
I bought the Clicks case for my iPhone 15 Pro Max
I've had several phones with a physical keyboard, including the OG Motorola DROID, the DROID 3, and the DROID 4. The latter had a great QWERTY. Last year I purchased the Clicks keyboard for the iPhone 15 Pro Max, and while I enjoyed using it for close to a year, I realized that I type faster using the virtual keyboard.
"Iconic Phones" is coming this Fall!
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Alan, an ardent smartphone enthusiast and a veteran writer at PhoneArena since 2009, has witnessed and chronicled the transformative years of mobile technology. Owning iconic phones from the original iPhone to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, he has seen smartphones evolve into a global phenomenon. Beyond smartphones, Alan has covered the emergence of tablets, smartwatches, and smart speakers.
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