Render of the lower priced BlackBerry KEY2 LE surfaces along with leaked specs

2. domfonusr (Posts: 853; Member since: 17 Jan 2014)

The KEY2, at best, is a $400-$450 phone spec's-wise; however, BlackBerry is undoubtedly relying on the brand power and the BB security apps and customizations to the OS and UI to bring in the extra value. The KEYOne wasn't a huge hit, but it was enough to help BlackBerry turn a profit and survive to its next iteration. I think a lot of people would argue that TCL came up with a more refined handset for their second effort in the KEY2, and the specs got bumped a little, too; however, the price also went up quite a bit.

I can see a niche for the KEY2 LE if the price is appreciably below that of the KEY2, but it wouldn't be a very big one, and honestly the specs are not significantly different enough from the KEY2 for them to bring the price into the range where I would like it to be, below $300. They needed to put less RAM (like, 2 or 3GB), less display (720x1080), and a lesser processor (like a SD 435 or 450) in it in order to be in the right price class. A 3000mAh battery would be more than enough to keep the lights on all day with those specs.

6. Venom (Posts: 1936; Member since: 14 Dec 2017)

Well said. I think the KeyTWO is more refined this time around, no doubt about it. I just wished it was a little more affordable. Hopefully it works out for them because they are definitely going to be facing some competition in the next few months.

I think they should have just refined the KeyONE for 2018 and offered it at a lower price than the KeyTWO. I think Apple sometimes does that with their phones and iPads.

5. Venom (Posts: 1936; Member since: 14 Dec 2017)

But more Americans are starting to see the actual costs of smartphones, and some are starting to see markets like eBay and Swappa. People are aware of One+, which is why they are still selling their products.

I don't think they carry as much clout as you think. Just look at the KeyONE and how AT&T had do a firesale to get some unsold units out. I wouldn't call it a deal when you can get some flagships from last year for the same price, sometimes less than a that if you go the used or refurbished route.

I actually have been saying that as well. Nokia does not have that much presence in the US and it should not be that way. They shouldn't ignore the US market considering how affordable their products are.

7. meanestgenius (Posts: 20023; Member since: 28 May 2014)

Agree that the price of the KEY² has made prospective buyers shy away from it. But if someone is in need of a security-laden smartphone that’s the most secure, they are choosing this or the now lesser expensive KEYᵒⁿᵉ. While there are smartphones out there that can provide security to a point, none are doing it as well and as efficiently as a BlackBerry, as you well know.

I’d rather pay $649 for a KEY² than the almost $800 and above for smartphones with “flagship” specs that come with the issues/bugs to match, like the Pixel line has done from generation to generation. The KEY² has specs that other flagships have, like dual cameras and the RAM. The screen aspect and the SoC are what’s “midrange” about it, but the SD660 is more than adequate for what most buyers will be using the KEY² for, and it provides better battery life than what the current crop of flagships provide. People will say it’s becaue of the SoC and screen, but what they should be focusing on is why these guys making flagships that cost $800 can’t provide a bigger battery and better power management. I mean, just look at the battery that’s supposed to be in the Pixel 3XL. That’s deplorable for a smartphone that size. And before someone says anything, I’m not singling out the Pixel line. Apple has had similar issues with bugs after every update like the Pixel, and the Essential phone for all of its flagship specs has had too many issues for its initial asking price as well. Charging these exorbitant prices for smartphones, you’d think that the OEM’s would provide better QC.

I respectfully disagree about the HMD/Nokia Mobile. They have been proving that one can grow sales without having the U.S. market in their corner. The Nokia of old was the same way, and they were once the largest smartphone manufacturer in the world for decades. They didn’t fall off because of not being entrenched in the U.S., they fell off because Symbian was aging and they didn’t go with the more viable option of Maemo/MeeGo soon enough. By the time they went for it, that effort was cut short by their new leader (at the time) Elop, who chose Windows Phone. While even I believed that Windows was a good operating system and supported it with my wallet, the majority of buyers disagreed, and that was with the Windows OS laden Nokia smartphones being highly visible in the U.S. HMD/Nokia Mobile won’t be the one that suffers if BlackBerry Mobile begins to grow it’s smartphone share/prescience in the U.S. That will happen at the expense of other vendors in the U.S.

12. Venom (Posts: 1936; Member since: 14 Dec 2017)

I'm just going to get to the point and not post an overly long conjecture filled comment. I think that the KeyTWO has priced itself out of anyone who may have wanted to buy it. Surprisingly so, there's still some people who are fans of the older blackberry devices. They basically took the Black edition from last year and spruced it up a bit, but not enough to justify the price.

I don't think some people should be talking about choice or differentiation. That's the point I kept making before, but they thought I was just trying to stay in the past with old technology when that was never the case at all. Choice is choice and that falls under choosing what carrier you want to use your phone on. I can do that with my S9+, which I do have btw.

14. meanestgenius (Posts: 20023; Member since: 28 May 2014)

I’m just going to get to the point about devices that I actually use, so I’ve earned the right to comment on them. I think the KEY², while expensive to some, isn’t as expensive as the current crop of flagships. What makes matters worse is that current flagships from industry giants have more issues than the smaller guys. One needs only to look at the Pixel line to see this. When taking the high price plus the plethora of issues into consideration, flagship smartphones like the Pixel aren’t worth it. The plethora of bugs do not justify the high price, and if what we are seeing with the third generation Pixels design wise with that paltry battery is true, then those won’t be worth the inevitable high price either. It’s like industry giants like Google have chosen to go backwards.

I can talk about choice and differentiation since smartphones like BlackBerry branded ones bring exactly that. You, on the other hand, have no room to talk about choice when you continuously bash what’s different from how you think things should be. You’ve even said that BlackBerry is living in the past with physical keyboards. But the innovative physical keyboard design brings CHOICE, which is something you’ve proven to be against. And now you suddenly own an S9+? Lol, post proof, or you’re just fabricating just like you were concerning your “ownership” of a KEYᵒⁿᵉ. Lol, I already know you won’t.

15. Venom (Posts: 1936; Member since: 14 Dec 2017)

You singled out only one OEM, and you only did so because you hate the fact that everything I've said about the KeyTWO is true. But you think I'm trying to just attack it just because you happen to like it. Stop taking it so personal because it's not about you at all. You talk about flagship smartphones not being worth it because of issues. You are just trying to find anything to justify the price of the KeyTWO. Newsflash, BlackBerry and Nokia have issues to or did you conveniently forget about that? Funny thing of all this is that you claim to have an iPhone. Lol, you want to talk about expensive with buggy software.

The only reason I said blackberry is living in the past is because they still think that their products will sell themselves on the name alone despite the price tag. That's just an observable fact.

Yes, I do own an S9+ that I picked up during . Once again, I have nothing to prove to the likes of you. You can believe me or not. Won't make a difference to me lol.

16. meanestgenius (Posts: 20023; Member since: 28 May 2014)

You constantly attack BlackBerry and you do it becaue of me and my choice to use BlsckBerry smartphones, and because everything I say about Essential and the Pixel line is absolutely true, and you hate that fact. Stop taking this so personal. You’ve been holding s grudge against me since your mxyzptlk account, and here you are 10 banned accounts later and you just can’t let it go. You talk about the KEY² not being worth the price, but you say bug ridden, overly expensive smartphones that have had issues for two generations are worth the price. How can you justify that? Newsflash: You can’t. BlackBerry and Nokia smartphones don’t have as many issues as Pixel smartphones or the Essential Phone, and Essential is on its way out the door. Funny thing is you claim to own certain smartphones, and we both know that you don’t, and that’s why you won’t (re: CAN’T) post proof of ownership.

The only reason you attack BlackBerry is to try and get at me. Let it go, mxyzptlk. There is life beyond seeking vengeance on a guy that prefers different things than you do. And the only reason why I say that the Pixels and the Essential Phone are bug ridden nightmares is because it’s a well documented FACT, and both Google and Essential should be ashamed of themselves for putting out such horrible smartphone at such exorbitant prices.

No, you don’t own an S9+. I have you so shook by that fact that you can’t even complete the sentence and says how/where/when you picked it up, lol. You don’t own it, and that’s why you won’t post proof, because you can’t.

17. Venom (Posts: 1936; Member since: 14 Dec 2017)

It's funny how you have to resort to conjecture just because I called you out. Lol you have been saying that for months now every since I made an account here. It wasn't true then, and it's not true now. We both know that you're the only one here who has multiple accounts. I think one of them just got banned. Then just recently you forgot to switch accounts again to your MDCHO account. Don't try to project to deflect. The only reason you attack both Essential and the Pixel phones is because I happen to favor them. You aren't fooling anyone. You got called out for hating on essential Phone, and then you tried to deflect by blaming me. The only crime I'm guilty of was lmao at you in that article. You are the one who takes this personal. You have been ran off by me.

I don't attack blackberry like you attack Essential and the Pixel. Everything I say about Blackberry is a proven fact that you are more than welcome to see for yourself. You act like blackberry and Nokia don't have issues when that is so far from the case. Lol, Nokia has more issues than you think and I actually posted links to said issues. You should stop taking things so personal and just grow up.

If that's what you want to believe. Lol, it actually cost me less than a KeyTWO would have cost me. Ironically, the S9 Plus is still a current flagship with better specs than the KeyTWO. I don't have to prove anything to you.

18. meanestgenius (Posts: 20023; Member since: 28 May 2014)

It’s even funnier how you have to lie about anything being conjecture, especially since it was I that called you out. EVERYONE here knows that you’re mxyzptlk, and they know that I made you deactivate your mxyzptlk account. They also know that I got your next 8 accosts banned, and now you’re on your 10th account, still doing the same things that you have done with your last 9 accounts, and that’s why more and more people call you out on being who you really are, mxyzptlk. I’ve only ever had this account, so don’t project your faux account ways onto me. You constantly attack BlackBerry, Nokia, and Huawei because of me. You even admitted to attacking BlackBerry because of me, and another user here pointed it out on more than one occasion. You have done the same things since your mxyzptlk account with your flash, spigen, batmite, wario 1, wario 2, tony_stark, and alphagenius accounts. You continue to do the same with your venom account. You’ve had so many accounts here that I can’t even remember them all, lol. Don’t try to lie about it either, because you’re only fooling yourself. You’ve already been called out by multiple people for being mxyzptlk. I’ve run you out of here more times than I can remember, and even made you cancel your account. At this point, you’re just bad comedy that has made things way too personal by making 10 accounts to come at me.

You attack BlackBerry, Nokia, Huawei and now even Apple becaue of me. It’s hilarious because you were the biggest Apple shill in your mxyzptlk and flash accounts, and now I’ve got you against them. See how easy it is for me to manipulate you? Lol. Everything I’ve said about the Pixel line and Essential Phone are documented FACTS. You can deflect and run interference for them all you want, but the facts are here in digital ink for all to as concerning the plethora of issues Pixel and Essential continue to have. Stop taking the truth so personal because it’s me that’s saying it. Try and be a mature adult for once.

Lol, you don’t own and S9 Plus, a Pixel 2XL, or a KEYᵒⁿᵉ, or you would have posted proof of ownership now. Stop it. You’re not fooling anyone. You’re just fabricating to justify your trolling, as usual.

19. Venom (Posts: 1936; Member since: 14 Dec 2017)

Are you a politician? Do you write for the Onion? Lol, did you read the crap you just wrote? You either have a very wild imagination or you're just used to posting conjecture to get your false narrative across. You either have me confused with one of your multiple accounts or you're just the alpha of crazy.

Lol, how can I be an Apple shill if I'm always, to quote one of your many conjectures, "deflecting from the Pixel's issues that I made up in my head?" I don't attack anyone and I certainly don't attack any company just because you happen to like them despite what your ego wants you to believe. This may come as a shock to your fragile psyche, but you are not as important as you think you are. You keep taking it personal when in actuality, it's just business as usual, for a lack of a better word. You just happen to be the punching bag that doesn't shut up. I have never said anything about the Pixel or the Essential phone being perfect. You just happen to attack them just because I criticized the KeyONE and KeyTWO for being too expensive. See that's the thing that separates what I say from what you spew on a constant basis, I mostly comment on the price in comparison to the specs that are offered. You on the other hand, you whine and complain about the Pixel and Essential phone issues that you have yet to specify which issue you encountered. Lol, you wouldn't even have the Essential phone on your radar if I had never said it was vastly underrated. You are a fake genius. You should just stick to being a geek instead.

Here's the thing, I don't have to prove anything to you about anything that I own or have owned. I have nothing to prove to the likes of you.

20. meanestgenius (Posts: 20023; Member since: 28 May 2014)

Lol, politician would clearly be you, and of the trump variety, due to all of the lies and #fakenews you like to spread around here. You are Mxyzptlk aka flash aka wario 1 aka wario 2 aka spigen aka mxyzptlk 2 aka venom aka tony_stark aka alphagenius aka batmite. There is denying that, no matter how hard you try.

Lol, EVERYONE knows that you were an Apple shill in your mxyzptlk and flash accounts, as well as a Samsung, Motorola, and Android hater. Now you’re switching things up so you don’t get banned again, by pretending to favor the Pixel phones, and you’re doing a “shilltastic” job at deflecting from the real issues that the Pixel line is having. You’ve attacked me plenty of times, as well as anyone else that doesn’t subscribe to your BS. I clearly occupy what little space you have in your head, rent free, or you wouldn’t be on your 10th account and still attacking BlackBerry 10 accounts later because of me, lol. You’ve made this personal, just like you made things personal with darkk during your “no mercy” phase, which was hilarious and pitiful at the same time. You still haven’t gotten it through your head that you are the constant butt end of a bad joke around here, and EVERYONE is laughing at the fact that you think no one knows who you really are. I’ve never said ANY smartphone was perfect, but you attacking what I favor is ridiculously out of hand now with your 10th account. You now attack me for posting FACTS about the Pixel and Essential line, and for criticizing them for being far too expensive for the plethora of problems that they continue to have. I only comment on the issues that constantly have, while you incessantly troll, cry and complain about the price of smartphones that you don’t own, never have owned, and never will own. And you STILL HAVEN’T posted proof of ownership of your KEYᵒⁿᵉ, and that’s because you know that I’ll call you out on your poor photoshop job like I did when you posted that photoshopped imgur of the Nexus P you claimed to own with one of your previous accounts. You wouldn’t even know what a BlackBery or Nokia phone looked like if I didn’t favor them and you didn’t have some sick vendetta against me, lol. The venom you spew has no poison to it. You should have stuck to being that clownish imp that is infatuated with Superman.

Here’s the thing: You CAN’T prove anything because you DON’T own the smartphones you claim to own. Period.