Best BlackBerry phones in 2021

BlackBerry KEY2 LE is the latest model from the company but these words bear a slightly different meaning. The KEY2 LE was released back in late 2018, and this alone could be enough of a factor to keep even the most devoted BlackBerry fans at a safe distance. Nevertheless, the phone exists and can be bought if you fancy it all that much. Let’s talk specs.

The BlackBerry KEY2 LE features the same 4.5-inch LCD display found on the KEY2, sporting a resolution of 1080 x 1620. Instead of the Snapdragon 660 Mobile Platform that powers the KEY2, the lower-priced model has the Snapdragon 636 chipset under the hood. The Lite version of the KEY2 carries 4GB of RAM and 32/64 gigs of internal storage.

Now, these specs are surely outdated by today’s standards but they’re not too bad. The Snapdragon 6xx series can produce enough power for a modern smartphone experience, and 4GB of RAM isn’t too bad either (the iPhone 12 mini sports the same amount). 64GB of internal storage also matches the base storage option of Apple phones in 2021, so you can (in theory) use the BlackBerry KEY2 LE in 2021. Is it the best BlackBerry phone you can buy? Not really…

The original KEY2 or the successor of the KEYone (however you want to look at it) is also an option for nostalgia-ridden smartphone enthusiasts. There’s no denying that the KEY2 looks stylish and sleek, with the iconic BlackBerry keyboard below the square-ish screen. This one has even better specs than the LE version, on par with some low-mid range phones from 2021.

The BlackBerry KEY2 packs an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 SoC coupled with 6GB of RAM and the Adreno 512 GPU, which is almost good by 2021 standards. The Snapdragon 660 is a fairly capable SoC, and 6GB of RAM should be more than enough even by today’s standards.

The KEY2 also comes with a dual-camera combo on the back, and a surprisingly good one, too! The dual 12MP cameras break down to the main sensor with f/1.8 aperture lens, 1.28 μm pixels, and a wider, 79.2-degree field of view, while the secondary camera features an f/2.6 aperture with 1.0 μm pixels and 2x optical zoom. You can record 4K videos with this phone, and also shoot panoramas, slow-motion videos, you know – modern stuff. The BlackBerry KEY2 is the best BlackBerry phone you can get at the moment.

What’s different is the display. It’s a 1080p LCD panel with a modern resolution and a modern pixel density of 403ppi. At 5.99-inches it’s also pretty spacious. Not large by 2021 standards but bigger than most “compact” phones out there. There’s a dual camera setup on the back, also very similar to the one found on the KEY2, with the exception of an extra megapixel on the ultra-wide snapper. No 4K recording here but the selfie camera is 16MP and the battery is also bigger at 4,000mAh.

If you don’t need a hardware keyboard but still want to flash the BlackBerry badge around, the BlackBerry Motion is your best bet. It’s another phone from the past, though – so don’t expect miracles. First, the model is out of production, so buying it would require dealing with scalpers and sky-high prices, and second – 3+ years phones could potentially have battery issues. Still with us? Let’s soldier on then to some specs.

The BlackBerry Motion comes with a 5.5-inch Premium Anti-Scratch screen with a 1080 x 1920 resolution (FHD), which is perfectly fine even by today’s standards. The Snapdragon 625 SoC is under the hood which means the Motion is equipped with an octa-core CPU and the Adreno 506 GPU. Not the fastest processor even back then, and quiet on the backfoot in 2021.

There’s 4GB of RAM onboard, and guess what – Quick Charge 3.0 tech is present too. The battery will charge to 50% in just 40-minutes. You also get a fingerprint scanner embedded in the home button. Not to mention the overall classy carbon-fiber look of this handset.

The best advice we can give BlackBerry fans right now is to wait. Instead of buying 3-year old phones from scalpers just to find your romantic memories/expectations don’t match reality, wait a couple of months and get a modern BlackBerry phone.

The BlackBerry 5G 2021 has been officially announced and just like every BlackBerry phone of late will focus heavily on trust and security features. Don’t worry – the iconic QWERTY hardware keyboard will be present as well.

As the name suggests, 5G network connectivity will be offered as standard, pulling BlackBerry out of the black-and-white past and bringing it to the present speedy/colorful days. The new BlackBerry might be equipped with flagship-style cameras, according to the latest rumors, which will bring the price up, for sure. There are also rumors about a possible delay and pushing back the device to 2022, but these are pure speculations at the moment.