BlackBerry and TCL have paired up to make another smartphone, and it has gone official in the form of BlackBerry Motion. Motion is a full-screen smartphone aimed at the premium mid-range category. The announcement occurred in Dubai during a brief unveiling last week, and all the details including hardware specs, features and design have been revealed. Here’s everything to know about it.

BlackBerry surprised us with a new smartphone last week, one that hadn’t appeared in many leaks. This is in despite of what we’ve been hearing as of late, in that BlackBerry would fully withdraw from the smartphone business for good.

BlackBerry no longer comes to mind first when we think of the “cell phone,” which wasn’t the case a decade ago. The company has lost just about all its market share to large corporations with high R&D including Samsung and Huawei, who have really taken over since Android became a thing. However, some companies have been able to find empty holes in the market where premium mid-range smartphones which are somewhat affordable, have been absent. Many have now jumped in to conquer the segment, Blackberry being one of them.

The new BlackBerry Motion will coexist with other BlackBerry smartphones including the most notable, KEYone, which has been a very influential piece of hardware. Motion is powered by a Snapdragon 625 processor with 4GB of RAM. It comes with 32GB of internal storage and measures 5.5-inches across its Premium ‘Anti-Scratch’ screen, which is of a Full HD resolution. The phone charges fast via USB Type-C using Quick Charge 3.0, even with its massive 4,000mAh cell. As for the camera, BlackBerry Motion packs a 12MP rear camera with an f/2.0 aperture along with an 8MP front-facing camera. Both should be capable of taking some great low-light shots.

Motion will run Google’s latest Android 7.1.1 Nougat software out of the box. This means you’ll have access to goodies such as doze on the go, bundled notifications, split-screen multitasking, enhanced security, new emojis, and a new Vulkan API for better overall graphics performance. You’ll also have some Android 7.1.1 Nougat exclusive features like app shortcuts, GIF touch keyboard support, live wallpaper metadata, and more. On top of this, you’ll get BlackBerry’s latest features, which include a full-blown productivity suite and security enhancements that are among the best out there. BlackBerry has also promised to update the handset monthly with the latest Android security patches as they become available. And, the device will receive Android 8.0 Oreo some time in the future.

BlackBerry Motion measures 155.7 x 75.4 x 8.13mm. Unlike most BlackBerry devices, even Android-powered ones, this is an “all touch” phone, and does not feature a keyboard other than the on-screen one we’re all used to. The design features a metal body with premium trim and BlackBerry branding on the back cover, which is composed of a different material. There’s a front-flanked hardware button instead of on-screen software keys, making BlackBerry part of a niche market of those who have retained the physical home button. Volume and power controls are along the right edge with BlackBerry’s signature ‘Convenience’ key that can be customized under settings, and additionally, there’s a fingerprint scanner embedded beneath that home button. To cap it off, the device is one of BlackBerry’s first to be IP67 rated for water and dust resistance, which will give Motion some added protection while in rough environments.

The BlackBerry Motion will be available in just one color option for now, and that is a ‘Black and Silver’ design. Availability is limited to the UAE and Saudi Arabia, who will get access to the phone later this month with other “select global markets” getting it soon thereafter. Which these will be is yet to confirmed.

You can buy the phone through BlackBerry’s online store at MobileBlackBerry.com. Pricing goes for Dh 1,699, or 1,699 Riyal ($463 USD). To learn more, those interested can head over to the BlackBerry Mobile site and register for email updates.

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SOURCE [Crackberry]