Sadly, Blackberry lost its fame when other mobile phone companies started to put more upgrades on their phones.  

But.....Blackberry is back in the Philippine market this year!  Black is back!

Yes, Black is back!

The return of Blackberry in the Philippine market was formally launched to the media last May 21st at Green Pastures, BGC.  All of the KOLs (Key Opinion Leaders) of Blackberry were present during the event.  It was an informal event and we were all given a chance to have a pep talk with all of the KOLs to ask about their experiences in using Blackberry and some things about their personal life too.  In addition to that, country head of TCL Communications Limited Rudolph Santos was also game to answer all of the questions about Blackberry.

You might be asking....what is TCL?

For sure, the first thing that comes into your mind is the TV brand.  Yes, you're right, TCL is popular for its TV and other electronic appliances that we use in our homes.  It has acquired Blackberry in 2016.  

Rudolph Santos, country manager of TCL Communications Limited sharing updates about the company and how they are positioning Blackberry in the Philippine market.

The six KOLs were chosen because they are really leaders in their respective fields.  Toni Leviste (equestrienne), Robby Goco (chef), Dyan Castillejo (sportscaster), Simone Rota (football player), Mela Sison-Laxamana (marketing head, Raintree Group of Companies), and Amadeus Baraan (dermatologist and traveller) were all present to tell us about their personal experiences on how Blackberry has helped them in managing their career and personal affairs.

Mela Sison-Laxamana, Dyan Castillejo, and Toni Leviste, three of the six KOLs of Blackberry

The two Blackberry models that are currently available in the Philippines are Blackberry Key 2 and Key 2 LE.  

Blackberry Key 2

Blackberry Key 2 LE

Here is the side-by-side comparison of the main features of Blackberry Key 2 and Key 2 LE:

	BLACKBERRY KEY 2	BLACKBERRY KEY 2 LE
Size	151.4 x 71.8 x 8.5 mm (5.96 x 2.82 x .033 inches)	150.25 x 71.8 x 83.5 mm (5.92 x 2.83 x .033 inches)
Weight	168 grams (5.92 ounces)	156 grams (5.50 ounces)
Screen Size	4.5-inch IPS LCD	4.5-inch IPS LCD
Screen Resolution	1620 x 1080 pixels (434 pixels per inch)	1620 x 1080 pixels (434 pixels per inch)
Operating System	Android 8.1 Oreo	Android 8.1 Oreo
Storage Space	128GB	32GB
MicroSD Card Slot	Yes	Yes
RAM	6BG	4GB
Bluetooth Version	Bluetooth 5.0	Bluetooth 5.0
Ports	3.5mm headphone jack, USB-C	3.5mm headphone jack, USB-C
Fingerprint Sensor	Yes	Yes
Battery Life	Up to 2 days	Up to 22 hours
Battery Type	3500mAh	3000mAh
Camera      Rear         Front	Dual Camera 12M + 12M with Dual Tone LED Flash HDR, 4k video recordind at 30 fps, Scan, Private Capture, Dual Phase Detect Auto Focus 8M Fixed Focus, 1080 video recording at 30fps	Dual Camera 13 MP + 5M with Dual Tone LED Flash HDR, 4k video recording at 30 fps, Scan, Private Capture, Portrait (bokeh) 8M Fixed Focus, Selfie Flash using LCD, 1080 video recording at 30 fps
Keyboard	QWERTY with capacitive touch	QWERTY
Price	Php39,990	Php24,990

You might be wondering why Blackberry's features are a bit different compared with the latest looks of smartphones available in the market.  Just like in the earlier models of Blackberry, they do not have plans of competing with the latest look of smartphones.  Blackberry is not designed to be the 'other' phone, but it is built to be the functional phone, an all-access phone for all your personal and business matters.

Presently, you can purchase Blackberry at Blackberry Stories Facebook and Instagram accounts or at Memo Express (check out their Facebook for branch locations).  Blackberry isn't available yet on major telco companies but sooner than soon, we will see mobile plans specially designed for Blackberry users.

Watch out for more updates about the comeback of Blackberry in the Philippines!

I want a Blackberry!



To know more about the features of Blackberry Key 2 and Key 2 LE, you may visit https://blackberrymobile.com/.