BlackBerry didn't make BlackBerry's new phone
BlackBerry's new phone
The DTEK50 , is the new phone by BlackBerry.BlackBerry is pretty proud of its new phone.But it's less a BlackBerry phone than any BlackBerry phone that's ever come before.
That's because it's practically a carbon copy of a different company's smartphone: the Alcatel OneTouch Idol 4.
We'd known for weeks that the two phones might share a manufacturer: according to FCC and Wi-Fi Alliance certification filings, the BlackBerry DTEK50 comes from TCL,the same Chinese electronics giant that owns Alcatel.
But it's only now after the DTEK50 unveiling we can see how nigh-identical the two phones really are -- the same design, same specifications, same basic Android operating system, same JBL stereo speakers, even the same programmable "Boom Key" that Alcatel was so proud of.
The only notable differences are that the BlackBerry has a textured plastic back instead of a glass one, which makes the phone a hundredth of an inch thicker, and that it comes with BlackBerry apps and software tweaks instead of Alcatel ones. (You might think that the BlackBerry's black color might be a differentiator, but the Idol can come in the same black as well.)
Plus, it could still be an excellent phone.
It's not like BlackBerry's trying to hide something, either: in a Q&A session following the DTEK50's unveiling, BlackBerry design director Scott Wenger admitted the phone was based on a reference design from TCL.
But BlackBerry's taking things a bit further than phone companies usually do. When was the last time a major phone manufacturer sold a smartphone thatalso will be available in the very same countries under a different brand?
Specification Compression
| BlackBerry TEK50 Alcatel Idol4 | ||
| Display size, resolution | 5.2-inch; 1,920x1,080 pixels | 5.2-inch; 1,920x1,080 pixels |
|---|---|---|
| Pixel density | 424 ppi | 424 ppi |
| Dimensions (Inches) | 5.79 x 2.85 x 0.29 inches | 5.79 x 2.85 x 0.28 inches |
| Dimensions (Millimeters) | 147 x 72.5 x 7.4 mm | 147 x 72.5 x 7.1 mm |
| Weight (Ounces, Grams) | 4.76 oz (135g) | 4.76 oz (135g) |
| Mobile software | Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow | Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow |
| Camera | 13-megapixel | 13-megapixel |
| Front-facing camera | 8-megapixel | 8-megapixel |
| Video capture | Full-HD | Full-HD |
| Processor | 1.5GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 617 | 1.5GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 617 |
| Storage | 16GB | 16GB |
| RAM | 3GB | 3GB |
| Expandable storage | up to 2TB | up to 512GB |
| Battery | 2610mAh (nonremovable) | 2610mAh (nonremovable) |
| Fingerprint sensor | None | None |
| Connector | Micro-USB | Micro-USB |
| Special features | Front and back JBL stereo speakers, programmable key, BlackBerry software | Front and back JBL stereo speakers, programmable key, reversible OS |
| Price off-contract (USD) | $299 | €270, converts to $310 |
| Price (GBP) | £275 | converts to £215 |
| Price (AUD) | Converts to AU$394 | converts to AU$435 |
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