1. krzyabn's Avatar
    So,

    After attempting to buy an unlocked KEYone through Amazon, but not being successful.. I was able to rely on a local Canadian carrier, and got it shipped to me.

    I'm a BlackBerry user of 12 years(10 years of constant use) as the first two years I was floating back and forth. So, for the last decade, even if I used a secondary device, I always had a Berry in my pocket. Ping Squad on deck.

    What do I like?
    • The physical Keyboard, I will admit the stock photos, or even the photos I've seen of it made it seem like the keyboard was as trash as the Priv's keyboard, or that it was too glossy. The gestures make me feel at home, and I sometimes even use the Swipe function - when I'm in bed with the woman sleeping, or when I am in a meeting and need to respond quickly without the tactile feedback.
    • The battery. 3505mAh. Comes in handy and I'm an absolute power user, I get between 5-7 hours of Screen on Time, with Wifi, location on, screen brightness between 20-50%. I can get away with 8+ hrs of Screen on Time(I hit 10 once before with no issues). To put this into perspective, on my Moto X Play, with battery saver mode on the moment I unplug from the charger, and with no location on, but leaving WiFi on, and I'd be lucky to hit 5hrs...
    • The Camera! Wow.. my last few devices have been: Note 4, PRIV, Classic, LG X Power, Moto X Play, Passport.. and none of them touch the camera on this phone. I understand the Pixel might be slightly better. But even with the 21mp camera on the Moto X Play, compared to this sensor it's trash! I'll try to edit this with a few photos
    • Android! I'm no stranger to Android, with that being said I prefer Android because of the app ecosystem. Apps Galore from anything to everything. I can see how it's an adjustment from BBOS/BB10.
    • Form factor, I like how it has a similar footprint to the new phones, like the LG G6 or the Samsung Galaxy S8(the S8 is a bit narrower though).
    • LED Notification. Love it, and have been so accustomed to it, yellow for SnapChat, blue for Facebook/Messenger, red for text, etc.
    • Double Click "gesture" for the power button for the Camera, and the convenience button set to Google. Love Google Assistance as it's very accurate.
    • Build quality: I ordered a replacement KEYone as the first one had this weird screen issue where the brightness would fluctuate. No idea why, but my replacement is perfect. And slightly better build quality where the back cover meets the aluminum side with no seam that my first one had at the bottom corners. It wasn't noticeable unless you were looking for it.
    • People who see me rocking the Berry ask, what is that? The lack of "BlackBerry" logo on the front makes people ask what I've got. I usually get "Wait, BlackBerry is still making phones?" which is usually followed by me laughing, and answering with a "Yes!". lol.
    • Multi-tasking. Run YouTube at the top while I'm writing an email below. This is new to me. Huge plus. Android 7 Nougat for the win.
    • Finger print scanner.. Fast as hell! Videos don't do it justice, and it's super convenient and it's in the front of the phone, unlike some phones.. *cough* S8 *cough*

    What I don't like?
    • The screen. A phone of this caliber deserves an AMOLED screen.. It would also make a little bit more sense as it might draw less battery usage, and could of been a tad bit brighter. But a 1080p amoled panel would be pentile, which is absolute trash. QHD and higher, it's not noticeable. So I understand why they picked LCD. It IS high quality, but I'd love an RGB AMOLED screen for the KEYtwo.
    • On Screen navigation buttons: why? I'd prefer a 4.8" with on screen keys that you could high in certain apps or certain launchers unless you need them. But it's okay, maybe something else to look forward to in KEYtwo?
    • No "Secure Folder" , Galaxy S8 has it. I love it. Having another folder where your secure apps sit. Third party apps don't come close to a native/stock version. The S8 does this well.
    • Speaker. I'm a media hog(mostly music, but occasional YouTube here and there on the go). The Mono speaker is somewhat average, or above average. But no phone that I've ever had came close to the Passport. Man, was that ever loud, and stereo speakers really make a difference. You can say it's subjective, and probably doesn't make a difference but it does. The volume on the passport was amazing, and the sound was absolutely Rich! But I get it. This isn't your typical media-consumption device. And, that's understandable.
    • No wireless charge. Based on what I've seen, the back cover is removable and because it's plastic, they *could* have inserted wireless charging and it would be super convenient.
    • No colour options. Would love a red KEYone like how they made a red Passport! That colour option would make this phone pop out so much.
    • Battery. If you're going to make a "thick" phone, make it 10mm, and insert a 4000mAh battery. But that's just me.
    • SnapChat being cropped (others who view your snaps will get black bars at the top and bottom of their screen), and you'll get cut off snaps from other people. Not an issue with the phone, but allow me to crop the app like the S8 does or how BB10 allowed you to change the app resolution by swiping down from the top of the phone within the app. It would help.
    • No water resistance(IP rating), I know why.. it's hard or nearly impossible to make a phone with so many buttons water resistant. But it would be a nice touch.
    • Headphone jack, is a plus. But the output volume is way below average. I'll have to depend on my S8+ for music while I'm in the gym.

    Other things I've noticed or done to better my experience:
    • Installed Nova Launcher (prime). Nova has been my go-to launcher for 6 years. I love the customization that it offers.
    • Merged my Icon Pack, Icondy.. love the custom icons.
    • Button Mapper (no root). Works great with Nova! And I can be in any app and I hold F for half a second and get Facebook, M for messenger, I for Instagram, Y for YouTube, S for SnapChat.. boom.
    • Get a case. My issue at this moment is I have seen 5 or 6 cases but without seeing them in person I don't know what I want. Will probably order one or two from Incipio this week.
    • Get a longer, certified USB type-C cord. 3 ft isn't enough.
    • Screen isn't super bright, so if you're one to leave it at 100% except your battery life to be cut a little bit. It makes it hard for me as I have the S8+, so with the KEYone at 50% I have to make sure my S8+ is at 25. Which is fine because I maximize both devices when it comes to the battery life.
    • I use Emoji's a lot, hit "SYM" on the keyboard, then hit the 3 dots icon at the bottom of the keyboard and then Emoji's at the top. Took me a while to find them. Was hoping I'd be able to get to the Emoji's quicker.. it's a bit of a pain to get to them.

    All in, I'm happy with the KEYone. It reminds me of the 9700 bold I had, maybe the KEYtwo will resemble the 9780 and it'll be all murdered out. The keyboard mushy-ness reminds me of the 93xx's Curve keys the most.. but the style of the Classic just narrower.

    I've got my S8+ as a media consumption device so I keep the KEYone just for business..

    Thanks for reading. Hope I've answered some questions. Unbiased review by a Berry user..
    06-24-17 05:23 PM
  2. mithrazor's Avatar
    Great unbiased review. Especially from an S8+ user.
    06-24-17 05:37 PM
  3. rx8er's Avatar
    Great.
    06-24-17 05:39 PM
  4. roba5263's Avatar
    Great write up. For emojis, hold the 0 key.
    sag7392, Diana Melamet and krzyabn like this.
    06-24-17 05:47 PM
  5. evodevo69's Avatar
    OP do you dual carry or is the s8+ more a at home device on WiFi?
    06-24-17 06:13 PM
  6. super_rigel's Avatar
    Great article! I love my KeyONE! You nailed most of the points. Hopefully the new model comes in all white, all black and has an Amoled panel.
    06-24-17 06:50 PM
  7. sag7392's Avatar
    Great write up. For emojis, hold the 0 key.
    Thanks for that quick tip! I've been hitting the SYM button, lol.
    krzyabn likes this.
    06-24-17 07:11 PM
  8. krzyabn's Avatar
    OP do you dual carry or is the s8+ more a at home device on WiFi?
    I carry the KEYone 100% of the time, S8+ is carried half the time.. can't leave the house without my keys
    06-24-17 07:17 PM
  9. krzyabn's Avatar
    Great write up. For emojis, hold the 0 key.
    holding the o key gives me this:
    Attached Thumbnails Unbiased 2 week review-screenshot_20170624-175306.jpg  
    06-24-17 07:54 PM
  10. portplayer's Avatar
    Great review. Very comprehensive for the average user. Had no idea about multitasking, let alone for YouTube?!
    krzyabn likes this.
    06-24-17 08:02 PM
  11. Emaderton3's Avatar
    Great review. Very comprehensive for the average user. Had no idea about multitasking, let alone for YouTube?!
    Yes, how exactly are you doing this? I thought youtube only runs maximized.

    Posted via CB10
    portplayer likes this.
    06-24-17 08:17 PM
  12. portplayer's Avatar
    Yes, how exactly are you doing this? I thought youtube only runs maximized.

    Posted via CB10
    06-24-17 10:04 PM
  13. Roadie29's Avatar
    You can split screen YouTube ...do it often. Just hold down the square key.
    hplovecraft likes this.
    06-24-17 10:08 PM
  14. Emaderton3's Avatar
    You can split screen YouTube ...do it often. Just hold down the square key.
    Good tip. Thanks.

    Posted via CB10
    jaytizon likes this.
    06-24-17 10:12 PM
  15. mithrazor's Avatar
    holding the o key gives me this:
    The number "0" key. Not the letter "O". (Left to the spacebar)
    krzyabn likes this.
    06-24-17 11:25 PM
  16. krzyabn's Avatar
    The number "0" key. Not the letter "O". (Left to the spacebar)
    I feel like such a noon, lol! This just changed the emoji game
    06-24-17 11:35 PM
  17. Andy_bb_king's Avatar
    Great write up. For emojis, hold the 0 key.
    Thanks! This will surely change the game. It should be marketed well.
    06-25-17 01:23 AM
  18. Lionel Passport's Avatar
    So,

    After attempting to buy an unlocked KEYone through Amazon, but not being successful.. I was able to rely on a local Canadian carrier, and got it shipped to me.

    I'm a BlackBerry user of 12 years(10 years of constant use) as the first two years I was floating back and forth. So, for the last decade, even if I used a secondary device, I always had a Berry in my pocket. Ping Squad on deck.

    What do I like?
    • The physical Keyboard, I will admit the stock photos, or even the photos I've seen of it made it seem like the keyboard was as trash as the Priv's keyboard, or that it was too glossy. The gestures make me feel at home, and I sometimes even use the Swipe function - when I'm in bed with the woman sleeping, or when I am in a meeting and need to respond quickly without the tactile feedback.
    • The battery. 3505mAh. Comes in handy and I'm an absolute power user, I get between 5-7 hours of Screen on Time, with Wifi, location on, screen brightness between 20-50%. I can get away with 8+ hrs of Screen on Time(I hit 10 once before with no issues). To put this into perspective, on my Moto X Play, with battery saver mode on the moment I unplug from the charger, and with no location on, but leaving WiFi on, and I'd be lucky to hit 5hrs...
    • The Camera! Wow.. my last few devices have been: Note 4, PRIV, Classic, LG X Power, Moto X Play, Passport.. and none of them touch the camera on this phone. I understand the Pixel might be slightly better. But even with the 21mp camera on the Moto X Play, compared to this sensor it's trash! I'll try to edit this with a few photos
    • Android! I'm no stranger to Android, with that being said I prefer Android because of the app ecosystem. Apps Galore from anything to everything. I can see how it's an adjustment from BBOS/BB10.
    • Form factor, I like how it has a similar footprint to the new phones, like the LG G6 or the Samsung Galaxy S8(the S8 is a bit narrower though).
    • LED Notification. Love it, and have been so accustomed to it, yellow for SnapChat, blue for Facebook/Messenger, red for text, etc.
    • Double Click "gesture" for the power button for the Camera, and the convenience button set to Google. Love Google Assistance as it's very accurate.
    • Build quality: I ordered a replacement KEYone as the first one had this weird screen issue where the brightness would fluctuate. No idea why, but my replacement is perfect. And slightly better build quality where the back cover meets the aluminum side with no seam that my first one had at the bottom corners. It wasn't noticeable unless you were looking for it.
    • People who see me rocking the Berry ask, what is that? The lack of "BlackBerry" logo on the front makes people ask what I've got. I usually get "Wait, BlackBerry is still making phones?" which is usually followed by me laughing, and answering with a "Yes!". lol.
    • Multi-tasking. Run YouTube at the top while I'm writing an email below. This is new to me. Huge plus. Android 7 Nougat for the win.
    • Finger print scanner.. Fast as hell! Videos don't do it justice, and it's super convenient and it's in the front of the phone, unlike some phones.. *cough* S8 *cough*

    What I don't like?
    • The screen. A phone of this caliber deserves an AMOLED screen.. It would also make a little bit more sense as it might draw less battery usage, and could of been a tad bit brighter. But a 1080p amoled panel would be pentile, which is absolute trash. QHD and higher, it's not noticeable. So I understand why they picked LCD. It IS high quality, but I'd love an RGB AMOLED screen for the KEYtwo.
    • On Screen navigation buttons: why? I'd prefer a 4.8" with on screen keys that you could high in certain apps or certain launchers unless you need them. But it's okay, maybe something else to look forward to in KEYtwo?
    • No "Secure Folder" , Galaxy S8 has it. I love it. Having another folder where your secure apps sit. Third party apps don't come close to a native/stock version. The S8 does this well.
    • Speaker. I'm a media hog(mostly music, but occasional YouTube here and there on the go). The Mono speaker is somewhat average, or above average. But no phone that I've ever had came close to the Passport. Man, was that ever loud, and stereo speakers really make a difference. You can say it's subjective, and probably doesn't make a difference but it does. The volume on the passport was amazing, and the sound was absolutely Rich! But I get it. This isn't your typical media-consumption device. And, that's understandable.
    • No wireless charge. Based on what I've seen, the back cover is removable and because it's plastic, they *could* have inserted wireless charging and it would be super convenient.
    • No colour options. Would love a red KEYone like how they made a red Passport! That colour option would make this phone pop out so much.
    • Battery. If you're going to make a "thick" phone, make it 10mm, and insert a 4000mAh battery. But that's just me.
    • SnapChat being cropped (others who view your snaps will get black bars at the top and bottom of their screen), and you'll get cut off snaps from other people. Not an issue with the phone, but allow me to crop the app like the S8 does or how BB10 allowed you to change the app resolution by swiping down from the top of the phone within the app. It would help.
    • No water resistance(IP rating), I know why.. it's hard or nearly impossible to make a phone with so many buttons water resistant. But it would be a nice touch.
    • Headphone jack, is a plus. But the output volume is way below average. I'll have to depend on my S8+ for music while I'm in the gym.

    Other things I've noticed or done to better my experience:
    • Installed Nova Launcher (prime). Nova has been my go-to launcher for 6 years. I love the customization that it offers.
    • Merged my Icon Pack, Icondy.. love the custom icons.
    • Button Mapper (no root). Works great with Nova! And I can be in any app and I hold F for half a second and get Facebook, M for messenger, I for Instagram, Y for YouTube, S for SnapChat.. boom.
    • Get a case. My issue at this moment is I have seen 5 or 6 cases but without seeing them in person I don't know what I want. Will probably order one or two from Incipio this week.
    • Get a longer, certified USB type-C cord. 3 ft isn't enough.
    • Screen isn't super bright, so if you're one to leave it at 100% except your battery life to be cut a little bit. It makes it hard for me as I have the S8+, so with the KEYone at 50% I have to make sure my S8+ is at 25. Which is fine because I maximize both devices when it comes to the battery life.
    • I use Emoji's a lot, hit "SYM" on the keyboard, then hit the 3 dots icon at the bottom of the keyboard and then Emoji's at the top. Took me a while to find them. Was hoping I'd be able to get to the Emoji's quicker.. it's a bit of a pain to get to them.

    All in, I'm happy with the KEYone. It reminds me of the 9700 bold I had, maybe the KEYtwo will resemble the 9780 and it'll be all murdered out. The keyboard mushy-ness reminds me of the 93xx's Curve keys the most.. but the style of the Classic just narrower.

    I've got my S8+ as a media consumption device so I keep the KEYone just for business..

    Thanks for reading. Hope I've answered some questions. Unbiased review by a Berry user..
    Great review! Should've made a video.

    Posted via CB10
    krzyabn likes this.
    06-25-17 02:29 AM
  19. krzyabn's Avatar
    Great review! Should've made a video.

    Posted via CB10
    I just might! Thinking I'll do one at the one month mark. I've got some other things I forgot to mention, and will probably do a very thorough video and show certain things that's hard to convey over text. Thanks for the idea of the video!
    06-25-17 03:27 AM
  20. krzyabn's Avatar
    Great review! Should've made a video.

    Posted via CB10
    I just might! Thinking I'll do one at the one month mark. I've got some other things I forgot to mention, and will probably do a very thorough video and show certain things that's hard to convey over text. Thanks for the idea of the video!
    06-25-17 03:28 AM
  21. Tsepz_GP's Avatar
    Nice review.

    You will shock some people here, as some believe that a person who wants a K1 doesnt want an all screen phone at all and that people don't dual carry.
    Bbnivende and murphy_thom like this.
    06-25-17 05:06 AM
  22. sag7392's Avatar
    Nice review.

    You will shock some people here, as some believe that a person who wants a K1 doesnt want an all screen phone at all and that people don't dual carry.
    I also carry dual phones (Pixel XL) and use it more like a mini tablet and for taking pictures or videos. The K1 is my daily driver nonetheless.
    06-25-17 05:41 AM
  23. dastillero1975's Avatar
    • No water resistance(IP rating), I know why.. it's hard or nearly impossible to make a phone with so many buttons water resistant. But it would be a nice touch.
    It's not that hard. Basically you need a water resistant membrane between the keys and the contacts. If I remember it well, some Nokias from the sports series had water proof keyboards.
    Moreover my Dell laptop have a water resistant keyboard and it has more and bigger keys than the K1 😁
    06-25-17 06:48 AM
  24. SamJR's Avatar
    love the review, I'm a massive fan of my KeyOne but wondering what the advantage is of changing the launcher? in addition how do I change the LED light?
    06-25-17 07:23 AM
  25. gjh1978's Avatar
    Being that you mentioned you are still voluntarily carrying two devices tells me all I need to know, I think I will sit this device out from TCL.
    06-25-17 07:51 AM
37 12

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