[breacher0]

New here. Asking for input from those of you who know the phone game better than me.

Long time Blackberry user. Currently have a Key1 (my 5th BB) and fairly happy with it.

It's time for a new phone. I'm leaning towards a Key2 and asking for candid feedback.

I've been using BB for since 2007 and frankly I'm afraid to buy a something else. Love the keyboard and durability.

I don't play and games or watch videos on my phone. Light business use, pics when hiking, talk, email, text and Reddit. No other social media.

Is a Key2 a safe and smart purchase at this time?
Should I be moving on to another brand?
If I buy a Key2 where is the best place to buy from? Live in Victoria BC

Thank you in advance for your help

[conite]

New here. Asking for input from those of you who know the phone game better than me.

Long time Blackberry user. Currently have a Key1 (my 5th BB) and fairly happy with it.

It's time for a new phone. I'm leaning towards a Key2 and asking for candid feedback.

I've been using BB for since 2007 and frankly I'm afraid to buy a something else. Love the keyboard and durability.

I don't play and games or watch videos on my phone. Light business use, pics when hiking, talk, email, text and Reddit. No other social media.

Is a Key2 a safe and smart purchase at this time?
Should I be moving on to another brand?
If I buy a Key2 where is the best place to buy from? Live in Victoria BC

Thank you in advance for your help

The KEY² is a definite upgrade, but with security patches ending within the next month or two, I'm not sure it's a wise investment.

But if you are dead-set on a pkb phone, there is still no better on the market - nor will there likely ever be.

[Dunt Dunt Dunt]

Issue might be finding one for a reasonable price at this point.

No way a 2018 hardware package, running an OS from 2017 with maybe one more security patch is worth $650++++ unless your are dead-set on a PKB phone.

[steveCheshire]

Key2 has a much faster boot up and response time. Almost none left in stock here in the UK so finding one will be almost impossible.

[Moon_Man]

The Key2 has a much better Keyboard. It's 20% bigger, has a better and softer click feel, the keyboard scrolling works much better and the matt finish feels much better for scrolling too. And you have the speedkey. With the added performance the speedkey is a gamechanger.

The only downside i can think of is the camera. It's worse than the key1 in bad lighting. Maybe because of the second camera idk

[steveCheshire]

That keyboard comparison has devided people. Some prefer the key1 version. Overall I think if you hate the new key board you have bigger gains in speed and response times.

[victorHTexas]

The Key2 has a much better Keyboard. It's 20% bigger, has a better and softer click feel, the keyboard scrolling works much better and the matt finish feels much better for scrolling too. And you have the speedkey. With the added performance the speedkey is a gamechanger.

The only downside i can think of is the camera. It's worse than the key1 in bad lighting. Maybe because of the second camera idk

Add the malfunctioning space bar that has soured the experience

[Moon_Man]

Add the malfunctioning space bar that has soured the experience

Mine is working fine. I had one with a bad spacebar but i returned it and got a key2 with a good one.
I had problems with my black Keyone spacebar though

[ZahidShad]

I've got both the KEYᵒⁿᵉ and KEY² aside from the keys being bigger and the speed of the device I actually prefer the KEYᵒⁿᵉ

The weight is so much better. Feels solid in the hand almost like if you were to throw it as a wall then the wall would get damaged not the phone. (Anger issues)

[Rishi P]

So what price can you get Key2?

[Ben xfg]

So what price can you get Key2?

Anywhere from $400 to $2k. You have to be persistent in your search all over the internet.

[conite]

So what price can you get Key2?

It's essentially just a collector's item now.

[jtrx7]

It's a fully usable device that should be ok for the next 3-5 years.

Collector's item?

Perhaps like a fine automobile?

Hehe...

[Chuck Finley69]

It's a fully usable device that should be ok for the next 3-5 years.

Collector's item?

Perhaps like a fine automobile?

Hehe...

Three years would define the outer limit if you look at how Android has operated historically. This is amplified because Android 8 Oreo is three years old now. Anyone still running Android 5 Lollipop on phone hardware currently wish to comment?

[Byrese]

New here. Asking for input from those of you who know the phone game better than me.

Long time Blackberry user. Currently have a Key1 (my 5th BB) and fairly happy with it.

It's time for a new phone. I'm leaning towards a Key2 and asking for candid feedback.

I've been using BB for since 2007 and frankly I'm afraid to buy a something else. Love the keyboard and durability.

I don't play and games or watch videos on my phone. Light business use, pics when hiking, talk, email, text and Reddit. No other social media.

Is a Key2 a safe and smart purchase at this time?
Should I be moving on to another brand?
If I buy a Key2 where is the best place to buy from? Live in Victoria BC

Thank you in advance for your help

Curious...what did you end up doing?

[RLeeSimon]

It's a fully usable device that should be ok for the next 3-5 years.

Collector's item?

Perhaps like a fine automobile?

Hehe...

ATT not waitlisted so soon offline

[conite]

ATT not waitlisted so soon offline

"Soon" being 18 months from now. Lol.

And who knows if AT&T policies will change by then.

[Marcieln]

Three years would define the outer limit if you look at how Android has operated historically. This is amplified because Android 8 Oreo is three years old now. Anyone still running Android 5 Lollipop on phone hardware currently wish to comment?

I'm just wondering if there are any stats published about the overall lifespan of BB Android devices?

[conite]

I'm just wondering if there are any stats published about the overall lifespan of BB Android devices?

Stats for what criteria?

[Marcieln]

Stats for what criteria?

Mainly BB device type, OS/version and how they're are faring over the last several years? Just curious due to some of the comments.

[conite]

Mainly BB device type, OS/version and how they're are faring over the last several years? Just curious due to some of the comments.

I think the statements made here are brand-neutral. The fact is, I wouldn't use an Android device (BlackBerry or otherwise) that was more than 3 months beyond its last patch.

[jtrx7]

When is a device ever "fully patched"?

Security is extremely important, however, do vulnerabilities ever end with any device?

Is a BlackBerry device ever less secure than the latest Android device from other manufacturers?

Could a BlackBerry 10 OS device be far more secure than the latest Android devices?

Perhaps...

A BlackBerry KEYone or KEY2 device should be ok to use for the next 3-5 years, or until carriers start phasing out certain LTE bands.

Who is trying to hack a KEYone or KEY2 nowadays?

Having patches and updates on a regular basis is a good thing, but when does it ever end?

Point is, a BlackBerry device is not useless just because patches and updates are no longer being delivered.

Use your BlackBerry devices until they break!

[conite]

When is a device ever "fully patched"?

Security is extremely important, however, do vulnerabilities ever end with any device?

Is a BlackBerry device ever less secure than the latest Android device from other manufacturers?

Could a BlackBerry 10 OS device be far more secure than the latest Android devices?

Perhaps...

A BlackBerry KEYone or KEY2 device should be ok to use for the next 3-5 years, or until carriers start phasing out certain LTE bands.

Who is trying to hack a KEYone or KEY2 nowadays?

Having patches and updates on a regular basis is a good thing, but when does it ever end?

Point is, a BlackBerry device is not useless just because patches and updates are no longer being delivered.

Use your BlackBerry devices until they break!

BlackBerry made some decent improvements to Android 5 to 8 (on an inversely proportional scale), but it's still far behind Android 10/11.

I'm not sure what you mean by "fully patched". Things get discovered and then patched prior to being made public. A device that hasn't received a patch in, say, 12 months has hundreds of publicly disseminated vulnerabilities - dozens of which are deemed critical.

No one said a device is useless after patches are over, only that they are clearly unsafe.

[jtrx7]

Perhaps, but a new Android version doesn't always mean is more secure than a previous version.

Vulnerabilities will never end.

Also, even with the latest patches and updates, online browsing behavior and day to day use habits will also determine the level of exposure the device may have to any breach or attack.

We all just need to be careful how we use any device, regardless of any patch or update versions installed.

Some people suggest or imply that our devices are done with and to "move on" to a Samsung or Apple device.

Are those devices even secure at all?

BlackBerry KEYone and KEY2 devices will be more than ok to use for years to come.

Let's keep using them and enjoy the physical keyboard until it breaks.

If it ever does...

Hehe.

[conite]

BlackBerry KEYone and KEY2 devices will be more than ok to use for years to come.

This is just plain wrong.

Of course behaviour is important too, but patches are a critical component to your overall security posture - no two ways about it.

You are ignoring the point that vulnerabilities are made PUBLIC 30 days after being patched - dozens every month. The attack surface increases geometrically as a result.

And yes, unequivocally, patched Android 10/11 from a reputable OEM is secure (Samsung, Google, Nokia, Sony, LG, etc).

Personally, 3 months after patching is my limit. If you feel super-adventurous, then maybe you can stomach 6 months. But anything more than that is objectively reckless.