Chinese Firm TCL Brings Back QWERTY Physical Keyboard Via $529 BlackBerry KeyOne Launching On May 31

The QWERTY physical keyboard on mobile phones is back. Responsible for the comeback is TCL, the Chinese electronics manufacturer of the new BlackBerry KeyOne. In a world of OLED screens, the new phone would likely sell to a niche market – BlackBerry fans who dislike smartphones.

But the QWERTY keyboard is the only thing that would remind owners of the BlackBerry KeyOne of the pre-smartphone era. The gadget would feature a 4.5-inch screen, a design element from the modern gadget era. Tech Crunch describes the new phone as being tall and skinny that has a height between the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus.

Fast Company reports that the BlackBerry KeyOne with QWERTY physical keyboard would go on sale in the U.S. for $549 on May 31. However, in one sense, the new gadget stands out because it is the only high-end Android phone with a physical keyboard on the front. The OS is Android, not BlackBerry 10 OS since the Canadian company that used to manufacture the old BlackBerry phones has focused on enterprise services.

From making mobile phones, BlackBerry went into the autonomous car software business, according to Computerworld, under the brand QNX. It licensed the BlackBerry brand to a Chinese company, TCL, which is the manufacturer of the BlackBerry KeyOne with QWERTY physical keyboard. The phone, though, is not for users who play games or watch movies on their smartphones. It is more for users who have a lot of emails to write and text messages to send using the physical keyboard.

The main component of BlackBerry KeyOne with QWERTY physical keyboard that comes from the Canadian company is the phone’s software, InfoWorld reports. Those who have tried the keyboard say it has a nice feel and satisfying click when the keys are pressed. It also allows two-thumb typing. Its 2:3 aspect ratio for a 4.5-inch display is considered big enough for work, messaging, and social media.