I examined a BlackBerry-style Android telephone with a keyboard, and it is weirdly sensible in 2026

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I have been reviewing Unihertz telephones for the reason that Atom got here out in 2018, and I’ve all the time loved its inexpensive, if area of interest, gadgets. For the previous few weeks, I have been testing its newest mannequin: the Unihertz Titan 2 Eliteand might confidently say it is one of the best telephone Unihertz has ever made.

One of many largest causes is the bodily keyboard. Unihertz appears to be capitalizing on the joy surrounding a return to keys — highlighted by the Clicks Communicatorfirst proven at CES in January (however nonetheless not accessible).

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The second is the Titan 2 Elite’s modern type issue. Not like past Unihertz phoneswhich tended to be bulkier than the competitors, the Titan 2 Elite is way thinner: about the identical width as an iPhone 17 however about three-fourths as lengthy.

You possibly can again the telephone on Kickstarter, with the marketing campaign doing extraordinarily properly with about two weeks remaining. The Titan 2 Elite could have an MSRP of $489, however could be bought via the Kickstarter marketing campaign for $389. As all the time, you must store with warning in the case of any Kickstarter venture, irrespective of the model’s fame.

What’s previous is new once more

Final 12 months’s Unihertz Titan 2 was positioned as a BlackBerry Passport different, albeit a lot bulkier with its extra rugged design. In contrast, the Titan Elite 2 is extra of a successor to the BlackBerry Traditional, however makes use of the keyboard as a trackpad.

The Titan 2 Elite is way thicker than BlackBerry gadgets, however with this thickness comes a greater show, sooner processor, and bigger capability battery. Powered by the most recent Android working system and promoting at slightly below $400, the Titan 2 Elite continues the place BlackBerry left off.

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The Titan’s four-row {hardware} keyboard beneath the 4.03-inch AMOLED show is well-designed with decent-sized keys and an angled cutout for left- and right-thumb motion. Tactile suggestions is superb, however the keys are a bit tight for my thumbs, leading to occasional mis-types.

My largest disappointment with the keyboard is the white-colored letters on an orange telephone. The backlight, enabled by swiping throughout the keyboard, helps me see the letters higher. Nonetheless, white letters on an orange background create a tricky distinction for my getting old eyes. The black mannequin with white keys would seemingly present higher letter visibility.

I like the truth that Unihertz permits you to set customized shortcuts, each long- and short-press actions, for each letter from A to Z. I’ve C for Chrome, D to textual content my spouse Dayna, G for Gmail, Ok for Preserve Notes, and a number of other others that I can bear in mind simply.

You can too allow the scroll assistant and swipe throughout the keyboard to maneuver up, down, left, and proper with out touching the show. This functionality is useful for studying web sites, lengthy emails, or paperwork. There’s additionally a cursor assistant mode, so when enhancing textual content, you may swipe on the keyboard to maneuver the mouse cursor on the show.

Communication first

The Titan 2 Elite is powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 7400 processor, 12GB of RAM and 256GB of inner storage. This chip helps 5G networks, and after visiting my native T-Cell retailer, I now have a bodily SIM within the Titan 2 Elite with a strong 5G sign and speeds.

Navigation across the system has been responsive, and I have not noticed any lagging. I have not performed video games or watched films for an prolonged interval, nonetheless, because the show is not optimized for media — it is communications-focused. After I did try it out, playback was pretty clean, and audio was noticeably clear and loud.

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The Titan 2 Elite has a 4050mAh silicon-carbon battery, and its endurance has been strong up to now. The one different telephone I’ve examined with this newer know-how is the OnePlus 13, and that was a battery champ. As well as, this system helps 33W quick charging, which is simply quick sufficient to make a 30-minute top-up useful.

Software program enhancements

Software program updates and patches have all the time been a weaker aspect of the Unihertz model, so I used to be happy to see the Titan 2 Elite launch with Android 16 and a dedication to improve the telephone all the best way to Android 20 with safety updates till 2031. This improvement is critical for Unihertz and reveals the corporate is dedicated to creating aggressive, inexpensive merchandise.

The Unihertz Titan 2 Elite runs a reasonably inventory model of Android with no bloatware put in out of the field. There’s an app for FM radio and for the telephone’s infrared distant management. A useful Toolbox utility offers a number of utilities, together with a bubble stage, a top measurement, an alarm, a magnifier, and a protractor.

Along with creating customized shortcuts for each letter on the keyboard, 11 different keys could be custom-made to your optimum keyboard expertise. The Func1 secret is a crimson key situated on the appropriate aspect, under the aspect energy/fingerprint sensor button. Brief-press, long-press, and double-press choices can be found, with my shortcuts set to Preserve Notes, Digicam, and Screenshot.

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I simply put in the Niagara Launcher on the telephone since that’s what the Clicks Communicator makes use of to offer a minimalist, centered expertise. With a telephone primarily for communication and keyboard textual content entry, this launcher could also be good for lowering time wasted on web rabbit holes.

ZDNET’s shopping for recommendation

Unihertz does an excellent job of launching distinctive telephones at cheap costs. The Titan 2 Elite is a telephone I like to recommend to anybody on the lookout for an easy system with a bodily keyboard. The show is massive, the keys are a pleasure to kind on, there’s a ton of customization, and the battery simply lasts for a few days.

That mentioned, it isn’t a telephone to function your main digicam in all conditions, nor does it excel at watching media. But it surely’s a terrific summer time telephone that slides into your shorts pockets and helps you keep in contact with household and buddies.