BlackBerry launches first dual-SIM 'KEYone' smartphone in India

New Delhi [India], August 1 (ANI): With a vision to re-establish its identity in the Indian smartphone sector, Optiemus Infracom Limited, the manufacturer of BlackBerry devices in India on Tuesday launched the BlackBerry KEYone limited edition Black at Rs 39,990.

The device which will be available exclusively on Amazon, starting from August 8, features latest security, privacy and data encryption.

The dual-SIM device, which is a first from Blackberry is equipped with a metallic black frame and soft touch textured back and features a 4.5-inch scratch resistant display (1620x1080 resolution / 434 PPI 3:2 aspect ratio) with Corning Gorilla Glass 4.

It combines a touch display with a physical keyboard to give users more useable space for typing. The device also offers a 4GB RAM and 64GB ROM (expandable up to 2TB).

The device's Smart Keyboard responds to touch gestures mimicking the heritage of the BlackBerry trackpad, thus making web browsing, reading emails and writing messages with flick typing a much smoother and intuitive experience.

This Smart Keyboard can also be easily programmed to launch up to 52 customizable shortcuts, providing even greater ease of use.

In addition, BlackBerry KEYone also sports security options with fingerprint sensor built directly into the keyboard spacebar for added functionality and security.

The latest flagship comes with enhanced security features, and is pre-loaded with DTEK by BlackBerry, enabling users to automatically monitor their OS and apps to know when their privacy could be at risk and to take action to improve it.

The DTEK app also tracks applications and notifies when someone is: taking pictures or videos without the user's knowledge, turning the microphone on, sending a text message, or accessing the contacts or location.

"In the recent past, ransomware attacks have been increasingly reported all pover the world. In such an instance, it is the need of the hour to keep a stringent check on the data being shared. Our latest device comes with enhanced security features ensuring utmost data encryption. The fingerprint sensor ensures that the device is not tampered with, thereby protecting it from unknown users," Senior Vice President, General Manager, Mobility Solutions at BlackBerry, Alex Thurber told ANI.

The device runs on Android 7.1 - giving users access to the entire Google Play store and apps. It comes loaded with BlackBerry Hub, a unified messaging inbox which combines emails, texts and messages from social media accounts including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, BBM, Whatsapp, Instagram and others.

Another benefit of BlackBerry Hub is the ability to manage multiple email accounts without switching between apps, with support for Gmail, Yahoo Mail, Outlook, Microsoft Exchange accounts, and many other IMAP and POP3 email providers.

At its core, the device is powered with a Snapdragon 625 2GHz Octacore processor. It includes Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 technology, making it possible for the 3505 mAh battery.

However, the device comes with a 12MP auto-focus rear camera; a large pixel size (1.55µm) and phase detect auto focus. Additionally, for video conference or streaming, it includes an 8MP front camera with fixed focus and 84-degree wide angle lens. (ANI)