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BlackBerry KEYone Amazon, Best Buy Price: Most Secure Android Smartphone Sells For $549.99

By Mark Jason Alcala
Published on: 23:25 PST, May 31, 2017

With the BlackBerry KEYone selling like hotcakes online on Amazon and Best Buy, it appears that the company is poised to reclaim its share in the smartphone market, a segment which it used to dominate in the past. In fact, demand for the features-packed gadget is so high that online stocks for the smartphone have already sold out.

TLC Communication recently announced that starting May 31, the new BlackBerry KEYone will be available via Amazon and Best Buy for online US buyers. The latest gadget, which is touted to be the most secure Android smartphone, is currently priced at $549.99, according to PR Newswire.

TLC announced that there are two unlocked variants available online for the BlackBerry KEYone smartphone via Amazon and Best Buy. One unlocked model is optimized for AT&T, T-Mobile, and other GSM networks. On the other hand, a CDMA variant is likewise available said to be optimized for Verizon network support. Meanwhile, the smartphone will be available to additional carriers such as Sprint by summer this year.

Latest reports suggest that BlackBerry is on track for its reentry into the smartphone niche with the introduction of the KEYone. A segment that the company was once a dominant player, BlackBerry is reclaiming some lost ground with its latest well-received smartphone offering. In fact, people can’t seem to get enough of the gadget that online stocks have been depleted according to GSMArena.

“Today has vbeen [sic] an extraordinary day for the launch of the @BBMobile #KEYone here in North America. Demand has been extremely high & it’s encouraging to see this level of excitement and momentum around our BlackBerry smartphone launch. We understand customers are facing issues with stock outs when trying to purchase their #KEYone… We’re working closely with our retail partners, ensuring additional stock is available ASAP so they can fulfill customer orders,” Steve Cistulli, President of TCL Communication North America, posted via social media.

Demand has surged since the announcement of the BlackBerry KEYone availability on Amazon and Best Buy. Both GSM and CDMA variants of the smartphone are already sold out on Amazon’s site. In fact, KEYone is reported to currently hold the distinction of being the “#1 Best Seller” for unlocked cell phones on the online retailer’s US site.

BlackBerry’s latest smartphone likewise sold out on Best Buy’s online store. At the moment, buyers who want to purchase KEYone may try calling Best Buy stores in their area. It was reported that the smartphone is still available on “select” Best Buy stores but it was not detailed which stores still carry the item.

So what do customer find in the KEYone that is so appealing? Actually, the phone has some cool features that make it worth its price. But surprisingly, a lot of consumers find a low-tech feature of the gadget to be attractive – its keyboard.

While many people consider putting a tiny keyboard into a phone in the age of touchscreens a step backward, a lot still prefer to touch an actual key when typing their messages, as can be seen in this discussion on Droidlife. A lot expressed excitement on the keyboard feature of KEYone saying that texting using an actual keyboard seem to be more accurate and faster than typing on screen.

KEYone is also touted as the most secure Android smartphone. The gadget comes preloaded with DTEK, BlackBerry’s security monitoring app. The smartphone sports a 4.5-inch impact and scratch resistant Corning Gorilla Glass 4 display, a Snapdragon 625 processor, a Sony IMX378 12MP camera and 32GB storage with a slot for microSD.

[Featured Image by Manu Fernandez/AP Images]

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