Clean-ish Android: Unlike the current crop of Android-powered BlackBerrys, the Titan comes loaded with a lightly tweaked build of Android 9.0 Pie. That's almost certainly because Unihertz didn't have to (or want to) spend any extra time hardening the underlying OS for privacy the way BlackBerry/TCL do now. And people who are really concerned about device security should probably still invest in something like a Key2. That said, props to Unihertz for mostly leaving Android Pie alone here.

The only real additions of note are a third-party keyboard designed to work in tandem with the physical one, a truly useless Notes app that caps text at 1,500 characters, and the Toolbox. That's where you'll find tiny apps like, uh, the compass, bubble level, protractor and plumb bob. I've never used a smartphone to help with home renovation projects, but if I did, the Titan would probably be the device I turned to.

What I can live with

Design: Like I said, this phone really isn't meant for people bound to a desk all day. Because of that, the Titan looks and feels like a BlackBerry Passport wearing a heavy suit of armor. For people who drop their phones constantly, or who frequently work out in the field, this ruggedized bulk serves as a valuable insurance policy. For a person who writes things in an open-floor plan office dotted with CB2 conference tables, it's total overkill.

It's not all bad, though: The Titan still squeezes into my pockets without too much drama, and it's nice knowing I could treat the thing like garbage and not have to worry about destroying the screen or drowning it in a pool. The phone's heft does means it's difficult to use with one hand, but c'mon — the Titan has a physical QWERTY keyboard. If you actually bought one of these, you probably knew exactly what you were getting into.