If you have been a long-term fan of hardware keyboard phones, you will likely remember the last generation of BlackBerry QWERTY phones. They included BlackBerry KeyOne, BlackBerry Key2, Key2 LE, and BlackBerry Priv. All of these are powered by Android OS, after BlackBerry OS and BlackBerry 10 phones were retired.
Before them came models like BlackBerry Passport and BlackBerry Classic, both of which were powered by BB10 OS. Neither of these two phones will work today, as BlackBerry Limited has shut down all services that make them run. The phones made by the Canadian manufacturer used to be listed among the best QWERTY phones to buy. Sadly, that era has come to an end, and we all have to move on.
Of course, you can still find the Key2, Key2 LE and others like them to buy. Since they run Android OS, they still function well. But those models are ageing (the Key2 LE was released in 2018) and you’d probably prefer something more up-to-date. If you are shopping for the best QWERTY phones available today, I have a few options for you to consider.
Astro Slide 5G
If you are a smartphone enthusiast and a lover of the Nokia Communicator form factor, you must have heard of the Astro Slide 5G, a recent release with a slide-out QWERTY keyboard that was released in January 2022. This is what it looks like:
Seeing that it just hit the market in January 2022, it sports up-to-date specs and features. These include a MediaTek Dimensity 800 5G chipset, 48-megapixel camera, 4000mAh battery. There is only 10W charging, and we really wish Planet Computers made that at least 18W.
It runs Android 11, though it is a dual-boot device and so can also boot to Linux TBA. The display is 6.39 inches (16.23 centimetres) in size and is an AMOLED panel. And true to its name, it supports 5G networks. The Astro Slide 5G is the most powerful, most capable QWERTY phone in the market today.
Unihertz Titan and Titan Pocket
if you want the famous Blackberry form factor, Unihertz has two models for you to pick from – the Titan and the Titan Pocket. The latter is the smaller of the two, but it is also the more recent release and started selling in 2022. Its specs include: a 3.1-inch, 716 x 720 pixels resolution display, powered by a MediaTek Helio P70 chipset. There is 6 GB of RAM to go with that, and 128 GB of built-in storage. AT the front of the phone is an 8 MP selfie camera, and at the back is a 16 MP camera. Battery capacity is 4000 mAh. If you want something bigger and more powerful with the same form factor, the Titan sports a 4.6-inch, 1432×1436 pixels display, 6 GB of RAM, 128 GB of built-in storage, a fingerprint scanner, and a massive 6000 mAh battery. Unihertz Titan is also a rugged smartphone and built like a tank. There is IP67-rated water-resistant, dustproof and shockproof for surviving rough terrains. The image below is of the Titan. In my opinion, these two are some of the best QWERTY phones in the market today. Order Unihertz Titan. Order Unihertz Titan Pocket. Disclosure: MobilityArena earns a commission if you order via these links.
F(x)tec PRO¹ X
Once again, lovers of the Nokia Communicator form factor will love this device made by XDA and awkwardly named F(x)tec Pro1-X. I am not sure why the guys at XDA chose to go with that tongue-biting name, but here we are. If you look beyond the name, though, this is a techie’s delight. It is the world’s first smartphone to run Lineage OS out of the box, and it has specs to make you drool. It was released in 2020 and comes with the following specs: a 5.99-inch, 2160 x 1080 pixels resolution display, a Snapdragon 835 processor, 8 GB of RAM, 256 GB of internal storage, an 8 MP selfie camera, a 12 MP dual rear camera, and a 3200mAh battery. Unfortunately, the F(x)tec Pro1-X is not a 5G device, which leaves it behind the Astor Slide. There you have it: the 3 best QWERTY phones in the market today. None of these brands are mainstream, so you won’t find the listed smartphones in the average mobile phone store. If you want one, you have to buy it directly from the manufacturers’ websites. If you are not comfortable with any of these brands or you are unable to buy directly from them, you will have to settle for the last released BlackBerry QWERTY smartphone, the Key2 LE from 2018.
Which are the best QWERTY phones today?
In summary, the best QWERTY phones you can buy today are Astro Slide 5G, Unihertz Titan, Unihertz Titan Pocket, and XDA’s F(x)tec Pro1-X. You will be hard-pressed to find a smartphone with a hardware QWERTY keyboard that beats these four models.
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