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BlackBerry is back with 'the world's most secure Android smartphone' — here’s what it can do
BlackBerry on Tuesday introduced the DTEK50, which it claims to be “the world’s most secure Android smartphone.”
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It’s the Waterloo-based company’s first follow-up to last year’s BlackBerry Priv, and further solidifies its shift toward embracing Google’s mobile OS.
Unlike that $700 phone, though, the DTEK50 is relatively affordable. It also doesn’t come with one of BlackBerry’s signature physical keyboards.
Let’s take a closer look at what the once-dominant phone maker has on the way.
There’s also 16GB of storage, which is upgradable through microSD.
You can see a full list of specs on BlackBerry’s site. Generally speaking, though, it sounds like it should give alright value, even if it’s firmly mid-tier.
The Idol 4 isn’t out just yet, but last week I reviewed its stronger sibling, the Idol 4s, which features a similar design. Being able to open Chrome or the camera with that button was one of my favorite aspects of that device.
One thing I didn’t like was its slippery glass back, but BlackBerry appears to have fixed that with a more textured material.
That was on the Priv as well — essentially, it keeps an eye on your apps, tracks their permissions, and alerts you when one might have potential security concerns.
Beyond that, BlackBerry says it’ll tighten up the OS with additional security patches, full disk encryption, and an altered boot process, among other measures.
Traditional BlackBerry apps like the BlackBerry Hub inbox and BlackBerry's virtual keyboard are still there, too.
(To compare, the Idol 4 will cost just $200 unlocked, but is exclusive to AT&T’s Cricket Wireless subsidiary.)
Reports late last month said that BlackBerry would release three new Android phones by the end of the year, so this appears to be the first.
While it’s hard to see a rebranded, awkwardly-named phone like this bringing BlackBerry back to general relevance, that lower price could make it a more approachable entry-point for those curious in BlackBerry’s security features.
Just how many people are still curious in the first place, however, is less clear.
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