Meet BlackBerry’s new mid-range Android smartphone

BlackBerry has announced its second Android smartphone and it’s called the DTEK 50. This is their affordable model that costs nearly a third of a BlackBerry PRIV. On top of that, they are even calling it the world’s most secured Android smartphone.

Named after their DTEK security software feature, the DTEK 50 aims to provide the most secured experience in a mid-range offering. If you’re wondering why it looks like an Alcatel, the answer is pretty obvious. The DTEK 50 along with another Android device are made by TCL Corporation, that currently manufacture Alcatel OneTouch devices.

The DTEK 50 gets a 5.2″ Full HD display that claims to be both scratch and smudge resistant. Powering the device is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 617 processor that comes with 3GB of RAM and 16GB of storage. If you need more storage, it supports microSD cards up to 2TB.

While BlackBerry isn’t really associated for great photography, the DTEK 50 packs a 13MP f/2.0 main camera that’s assisted with dual-tone LED flash and PDAF. It’s also BlackBerry’s best selfie phone as it comes with an 8MP f/2.2 front camera that has a flash light. Both front and rear cameras are capable of recording videos up to 1080p resolution.

It also ticks the right boxes for connectivity as it supports 4G LTE in both TD and FD LTE bands (Asian model) along with 802.11 ac WiFi, Bluetooth 4.2 and even NFC. On-board there’s a 2,610mAh battery that supports QuickCharge 2.0 via microUSB. According to the spec sheet, it will take 51 minutes to give it a 50% charge. Out of the box, it runs on Android Marshmallow with BlackBerry’s suite of apps.

In the US, the DTEK 50 is priced at US$299 (about RM1,216) which comes with a 12,600mAh powerbank bundle as shown above. Stocks are expected to ship starting the week of 8 August 2016. For the price of around RM1,200, would you consider this BlackBerry for its security features, or would you spend that same amount on a pure Android smartphone instead?

For more info, head over to BlackBerry’s DTEK50 product page.