Introduction

As BlackBerry continues to release BlackBerry hardware, the company is slowly reestablishing itself in the smartphone industry. Even in the beginning of 2018, we still encounter a large number of people who don't know that BlackBerry is relevant again.

We can't blame them since BlackBerry hasn't been spending excessive amounts of money on advertising. Maybe those who have seen the BlackBerry KEYone in carrier stores might somewhat remember they saw a BlackBerry "in a store that one time".

Brand recognition aside, the BlackBerry Motion has a standard set of hardware: A Qualcomm Snapdragon 625, 4GB of RAM, and a 5.5-inch Full HD screen. The BlackBerry Motion does stand out in a couple of aspects: it has a large 4,000 mAh battery, and it is IP67 water resistant. We're glad to see that the BlackBerry Motion's hardware is pretty sharp-looking and instantly recognizable among a selection of smartphones that already look very similar.

BlackBerry Motion key features

Body: Brushed aluminum frame, soft touch material on the back, stylish design, IP67 rating.

Brushed aluminum frame, soft touch material on the back, stylish design, IP67 rating. Display: 5.5-inch IPS LCD, 1920x1080px resolution, 16:9 aspect ratio 403 ppi, DragonTrail Glass with anti-scratch nano-diamond coating.

5.5-inch IPS LCD, 1920x1080px resolution, 16:9 aspect ratio 403 ppi, DragonTrail Glass with anti-scratch nano-diamond coating. Rear camera: 12MP camera, PDAF, f/2.0 aperture, dual-tone LED flash, HDR, 4K recording @ 30fps, 1080p @ 30fps with video stabilization (EIS), multi-frame low light enhancement.

12MP camera, PDAF, f/2.0 aperture, dual-tone LED flash, HDR, 4K recording @ 30fps, 1080p @ 30fps with video stabilization (EIS), multi-frame low light enhancement. Front camera: 8MP fixed focus, f/2.2 aperture, 1.12 um pixels, 1080p @ 30fps, 84° field of view.

8MP fixed focus, f/2.2 aperture, 1.12 um pixels, 1080p @ 30fps, 84° field of view. OS/Software: Android 7.1.2 Nougat; BlackBerry Apps suite.

Android 7.1.2 Nougat; BlackBerry Apps suite. Chipsets: 14nm Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 CPU - octa-core 2.0GHz Cortex-A53, Adreno 506 GPU.

14nm Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 CPU - octa-core 2.0GHz Cortex-A53, Adreno 506 GPU. Memory: 4GB RAM / 32GB RAM.

4GB RAM / 32GB RAM. Battery: 4,000 mAh (sealed) with Quick Charge 3.0 support.

4,000 mAh (sealed) with Quick Charge 3.0 support. Connectivity: Single or Dual SIM configurations; LTE-A Category 9 450/50 Mbps, USB-C (v2.0); Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac (2.4 or 5 GHz); GPS; NFC; USB-OTG; Bluetooth 4.2.

Single or Dual SIM configurations; LTE-A Category 9 450/50 Mbps, USB-C (v2.0); Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac (2.4 or 5 GHz); GPS; NFC; USB-OTG; Bluetooth 4.2. Misc: Fingerprint reader embedded into home button; bottom-firing loudspeaker; 3.5mm headphone jack; earbuds with tips included.

Main shortcomings

Pricey for the specs at $450

The phone's software is just as important as its bold-looking exterior. BlackBerry's software on the Motion is very similar to how it was on the KEYone - only with a fully virtual keyboard rather than a physical one. BlackBerry's formula for software is a near-stock version of Android, enhanced with BlackBerry's productivity-centered suite of apps and security-focused approach for handling sensitive data.



BlackBerry Motion Official photos

Camera wise, we are expecting the BlackBerry Motion to take pictures like the ones we saw from the BlackBerry KEYone: unexpectedly good. Based on the surpassed expectations of the KEYone, we expect that the BlackBerry Motion would have the best camera performance of any smartphone with a Snapdragon 625.

We're not as excited about the BlackBerry Motion as we were about the KEYone. After all, there aren't too many new phones that come with a full QWERTY keyboard these days. The BlackBerry Motion is ultimately the successor to the BlackBerry DTEK60, a phone that came with a high-end processor to let it stand out. There are, however, a plethora of devices that fit the same base formula of a Full HD 5.5-inch screen and a mid-range processor.

Let's find out together - starting with the phone's unboxing and a quick tour of the hardware at hand. Is the BlackBerry's price premium worth more over these cheaper options?