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| The successor to the BlackBerry KeyOne features dual cameras. Photo: REUTERS/Albert Gea |
By Ken Manbert Salcedo, IBT
TCL confirmed earlier this year that it will release two new BlackBerry smartphones that have physical QWERTY keyboards. One of those phones may have already leaked and it looks like it’s going to be the successor to last year’s BlackBerry KeyOne.
The renders for the device were shared online by Slashleaks. The handset is said to be known internally as “Athena.” This is one of three BlackBerry phones that TCL is currently working on, the others being “Uni” and “Luna.” BlackBerry Athena chould likely be the direct successor to the KeyOne. There’s no word yet on what the device will be called when it’s officially announced, but some of the names that people have come up with include “KeyTwo” and “KeyOne 2.”
The BlackBerry Athena borrows a lot of the same physical design elements from the original KeyOne Android phone. First off, the device appears to borrow the darker frame of the KeyOne Black Edition, ditching the silver frame of the original handset. The top bezel also appears to have been reduced, giving way to a better-looking display.
Speaking of display, it appears as though the glass panel covering it has been extended to cover the top bezel. The Physical QWERTY keyboard returns with the same BlackBerry signature layout, but it seems like it comes with a different finish. Phone Arena also pointed out that the physical keyboard seems to be a bit more rectangular than what’s found on the original KeyOne.
The BlackBerry Athena also looks like it has a more angular edge. The device sports a brushed aluminum finish giving it a premium look. On one side of the device is the SIM card tray and on the other is the volume keys, the power button and a new button that has a textured surface. There’s no information as to what this new button will be for, but it could be a camera shortcut.
Speaking of cameras, the BlackBerry Athena feature dual lenses on its back. The cameras are accompanied by a dual-tone LED flash. There’s no information yet on what kind of sensors these cameras are equipped with, but this makes the Athena one of the first BlackBerry branded device to feature such a setup. The back appears to be a plastic panel covered with a textured finish and the BlackBerry logo. On the bottom of the device is a USB Type-C port flanked by two speakers. At the top edge sits the 3.5mm headphone jack.
Back in February, it was rumored that the BlackBerry Athena will be a mid-range device powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 processor with 6GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. TCL hasn’t made an official announcement yet, but one is expected soon. The original BlackBerry KeyOne was released in April 2017.
