BlackBerry had previously launched the BlackBerry
KEY2 Red Edition with a few key differences (no pun intended) over the standard
KEY2 version that’s currently available. BlackBerry is announcing the device's
US availability.
For starters, this is the KEY2 Red Edition. It’s a
totally red version of the KEY2, not to be confused with the KEY2 LE, which was
announced back during IFA as a similar-looking Atomic Red color option. The
exposed metal parts of the phone are bright red while the QWERTY keyboard
remains black and the physical keys are silver.
The Red Edition is made of the same 7000 series
aluminum and features all the same specs as before, but the Red edition is the
first US variant to come with 128GB of on-board storage. Previously, if you
wanted that much internal storage, you had to import the device from Europe.
The Red Edition also comes with newly-designed packaging and a pair of red
BlackBerry-branded headphones that match the paintjob of the KEY2.
This new edition also debuts a redesign of the
BlackBerry Hub+ app with a new look and updated UX. It also adds a new “action
bar” to the Hub+ app for quicker access to shortcuts like search, sort, and
compose.
You can grab the new KEY2 Red Edition now at Best
Buy and Amazon for US$ 699 Unlocked. As a reminder, the unlocked version is
compatible with Verizon. This new edition comes at a premium of US$ 50 as the
regular price for the Black Unlocked 64GB version of the KEY2 has a regular
price of US$ 649 but as of the writing of this post, Best Buy is selling it for US$ 599.
If that price is too steep, there’s always the
Atomic Red BlackBerry KEY2 LE which retails at $499, but that one has a slower
CPU, lower-cost build materials, 2GB less of RAM, and a smaller 3,000 mAh
battery.
