Basically everything else on the KEY2 LE is the same as its more-premium brother -- it has an identical full HD display, the exact physical buttons on the edge and the Speed key that let you access all your keyboard shortcuts from any app.

BlackBerry did add some software updates, though. Before, the convenience key could be programmed to launch specific shortcuts based on where you are. If you're connected to your car's Bluetooth, for example, it'll switch to Car mode and use the shortcuts you've set for that profile. Connect to your home WiFi network, and it'll move to Home mode and the convenience key will launch the actions you've mapped for that context.

With the KEY2 LE, you can also set the convenience key to always launch the Google Assistant (or Google Lens when you long-press), regardless of where you are. It's nice if you rely on the digital helper a lot.

If you want to keep work and personal accounts on the same phone, but want to keep their contents separate, you'll like phone's the ability to clone apps in order to run multiple profiles. So far, the options available are just Instagram (where you can already run multiple profiles), Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp and WeChat, and you'll need to use dual SIM phones to run accounts simultaneously for the latter two. Hold down on the app's icon on the KEY2, then drag it over to the Clone option that appears at the top of the screen. A twin will show up next to it in your app drawer, and you can choose to hide the version with your personal profile, for instance, in a private vault.

Finally, like I mentioned before, BlackBerry incorporated more battery-boosting software tweaks, although they don't really extend battery life. The KEY2 remembered when you tend to recharge your phone, and reminded you to plug it in if you seemed to have forgotten. On the LE, BlackBerry goes a step further. When it sees that your calendar is full of appointments during the day and notices that you have a free window, it'll suggest that you charge your phone at that time to avoid running out of juice later. The company plans to expand these features over time. They're helpful, but ultimately are more like reminders to keep your KEY2 LE charged than anything that actually enhances battery performance.

Plus, companies like Google and Huawei have already trumpeted similar methods, using "adaptive battery" and AI-based power management features respectively to make phones last longer. There hasn't been significant evidence (yet) that such software tweaks really do work, so BlackBerry's new features are hard to get excited about. A smaller battery, though, is clearly a smaller battery.

Aside from these changes, the KEY2 LE has basically the same software as the regular, though I wouldn't be surprised if BlackBerry eventually brought the new features to the original KEY2.

The KEY2 LE is an obvious example of BlackBerry's efforts to reach a wider audience, and with the significantly lower price of $449, it might actually attain that goal. I'm not sure that the trade-offs will please these folks. So far, though, the refined design and colorful new looks might be enough to pique the public's interest, though retaining it will depend on reasons beyond the cosmetic.

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Camera, Editor: Brian Oh