BlackBerry is aiming to make a return to the smartphone market with the release of its newest device.
The BlackBerry Mercury, as the device is tentatively dubbed, is set to be officially unveiled on Feb. 25, right at the beginning of the huge Mobile World Congress tech show in Barcelona, according to a tweet the company posted on Jan. 24.
The Mercury is set to be a throwback to classic BlackBerry devices, featuring both an analog QWERTY keyboard and a touchscreen display. It’ll reportedly run on a reskinned version of Android Nougat, bringing the company’s phones up to date with the latest OS technology, according to Stuff.
The physical keyboard has seen an upgrade, as well. The spacebar has a built-in fingerprint scanner, and users can scroll and flip through screens by swiping their fingers across the keyboard itself. The right side of the phone will also house a “convenience key” which can be mapped to launch frequently used apps.
Although details — such as specs, pricing or official name — are pretty scarce, the phone is confirmed to feature a headphone jack, USB-C, and an aluminum body and soft-touch back. In addition to its classic features and look, the phone will also use BlackBerry’s famed end-to-end security system, which the company said can stand up to similar Apple or Samsung systems.
The Mercury isn’t the only BlackBerry reboot in recent years, but previous comeback phones have all but failed to capture significant consumer attention, CNET reported. In fact, BlackBerry was essentially dead until TCL — the Chinese company behind Alcatel phones — acquired the license to manufacture BlackBerry-branded devices. While it is out of the hardware game, the Canadian company is working with TCL to customize the Android software that the Mercury will run on.
The Mercury will be available toward the end of February, or sometime after. By the time MCW rolls out, we’ll likely know a bit more about BlackBerry’s latest device.
Featured Image: 9to5Google
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