New BlackBerry tries to sell itself on security
The DTEK50 runs on Android, but its best selling point is actually it’s price
It’s likely a crying Kim Kardashian West emoji will be bigger news than the launch of BlackBerry’s latest phone, the DTEK50.
Kardashian West this week unleashed a tweetstorm over the fact her last beloved BlackBerry Bold had died, and she couldn’t find a replacement on eBay. Her lament ended with a teary Kimoji exclamation point. Kardashian West — who admittedly wields double handsets and also uses an iPhone — is a longtime BlackBerry fan who doesn’t want to let go of the company’s devices. But it looks like she might have to move on.
That’s likely how many fans still feel about the company.
These days, the truth is that BlackBerry is doing well in other lines of business, such as software and services.
But its legacy handset business is still a point of consternation; CEO John Chen has said that if it doesn’t turn around by the end of the year, he’s willing to cut ties with the division.
With all that swirling around, BlackBerry launched its latest phone, the DTEK50, calling it the world’s most secure Android phone.
Here’s a rundown: Name: BlackBerry DTEK50 Price (unlocked): $429 Operating system: Android 6.0 Screen: 5.2-inch LCD screen with 1080x1920 pixels resolution Features: CPU: Snapdragon 617 octa-core 1.5GHz, 3GB RAM, DTEK 50 security app, BB10 features such as hub and messenger, Android apps, 16GB storage with microSD slot that is expandable up to 2TB. Camera: 13-megapixel rear camera, 8 MP on the front. Weight: 135 grams Battery life: 2610 Mah, which is almost good for day, but any multimedia use can sap it quickly. Competition: OnePlus X, Moto G4 Plus What’s good: The DTEK50’s best selling point is its price. At $429, this is a mid-range phone the company is selling as a fleet device for businesses, but it could also help increase BlackBerry’s market share in emerging markets, where the company is still a sought-after brand.
The phone is named after an app that premiered on last year’s higherend Priv phone.
That app looks at your phone’s security and privacy features and lets you know how to improve them. It checks and confirms privileges to various apps well, but that is basically preventative maintenance and many other apps do similar things. The password keeper can be handy, but there are also third-party offerings for that.
BlackBerry is basically trying to expand on its security reputation, but that’s hard to turn into a product. The company is calling this the world’s most secure Android phone, which is a bold claim that even they had to back down from a bit — as it is as secure as their previous phone, the higher end Priv — and still less secure than the company’s BB10based phones.
Beyond the security, this is a decent, all-around phone that runs well, without a lot of bells and whistles. I appreciate the move to Android, so people can get popular apps. Designwise, it feels good to hold and is the thinnest phone the company has ever put out. What’s bad: The power button’s location on the upper left side is confusing when compared to other phones. There is also a round button on right side, a programmable convenience key, that you can assign some functions too, and turning the power on is an available option here.
The screen doesn’t really compete with the Samsungs and iPhones of the world, but at this price you shouldn’t expect it too. There isn’t a finger print scanner. The camera is not great in lowlight situations. What’s interesting: It’s probably wishful thinking that the Finnish people resort to the same sort of hand-wringing over the failures of Nokia that Canadians have when it comes to BlackBerry, but . . . what makes something a BlackBerry now? Is it the physical keyboard? Is it BB10? Is it BBM? This phone has access to the last one, but at this point, the company’s hardware division admits to mostly being about software and design. As such, the DTEK50 is what is referred to as a “re-badged” phone, meaning it is built on a reference design from an Alcatel phone.
BlackBerry execs have said that the company made some changes, such as making it easier to grip and adding the convenience key, but is that enough to distinguish it? The bottom line: The problem with BlackBerry trying to sell a device on its security is that really the company is trying to sell the promise of bad things not happening.
The other problem: most people are either unaware of or don’t really care about their security, even if they should.
The DTEK50 is a solid phone at a good price, but is not spectacular in any way. BlackBerry says it has another two phones in the pipeline, including another one based on a physical keyboard. Here’s hoping this phone does well enough to secure the possibility of seeing those ones released.