At the turn of the decade BlackBerry had emerged as one of the most popular mobiles around the world. Mainly because of the BlackBerry messenger, which everyone wanted to use. But, then came the turn of WhatsApp that was available on any and all smartphones, and people moved away from BlackBerry overnight. However, BlackBerry still is one of the most secured smartphone brand for any business users. Today, Optiemus Infracom has launched the new BlackBerry KEY2 in India sporting a mid-end CPU with decent RAM. BlackBerry KEY2 specifications The smartphones from the company have usually been a powerhouse when it comes to under the hood performance and security combinations. The BlackBerry KEY2 features a Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 Kyro 260 Octa-core 2.2GHz (4 cores) + 1.8GHz (4 cores) 64-bit CPU. This is paired with 6GB of RAM and 64GB of internal memory. The storage is expandable by up to 256GB using a microSD card. The front of the smartphone is dominated by a 4.5-inch touchscreen as well as a Full QWERTY keyboard. The keyboard is one of the main USP’s of the BlackBerry KEY2. The IPS LCD display sports a resolution of 1620×1080 pixels with 3:2 aspect ratio. The touch display has a layer of corning Gorilla Glass 3. Wonder why the version 3, when Corning has just announced version 6 of its Gorilla Glass. Moving on, features like quick charge come to the BlackBerry KEY2 and its 3,500 mAh battery can be charged up to 50% in forty minutes with Quick Charge 3. Pre-loaded DTEK by Blackberry app is also there along with App locker. As far as the cameras are concerned, BlackBerry for the first time has brought a dual camera setup in its smartphone. The BlackBerry KEY2 has a 12MP + 12MP camera arrangement at the back with 2X optical zoom capability. The front camera is powered by an 8 MP sensor for selfies. Camera modes such as portrait, superzoom etc. have been added to this smartphone. Google lens has also been added to the mix. The operating system on the BlackBerry KEY2 is the Android 8.1 Oreo and comes loaded with BlackBerry hub on top of it. The Hub enables users to keep and manage multiple E-mail accounts running on it, without the need to switch between apps. Other features of the BlackBerry KEY2 include Bluetooth v5.0 LE, USB type C charging port, USB OTG, NFC, Wi-Fi, FM radio, Gyroscope, proximity sensor and accelerometer. The space bar on the smartphone doubles up as the fingerprint sensor. Mr. Hardip Singh, Executive Director, Optiemus Infracom said, “In the wake of current data breaches across the globe and here in India, consumers are increasingly concerned about the safety of their information, especially on mobile. The BlackBerry KEY2 is an answer to that!  It not only comes loaded with the best security and privacy enhancement features, but also accurate and comfortable typing on an intelligent keyboard. The smartphone also offers the best multitasking experience for those that want to get things done. With its elegant, premium design, we are positive that our customers are going to love this powerful and stylish smartphone.” BlackBerry KEY2 price and availability The BlackBerry KEY2 is priced at Rs 42,990 in the Indian market and will start selling on July 31 on Amazon India. The smartphone also carries proposals like Reliance JIO cashback offer of Rs 4,450 and ICICI bank cashback offer of 5% on EMI transactions. For the latest gadget and tech news, and gadget reviews, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

It is always good to see the Nokia name pop on the screen. It brings back a sense of nostalgia as most of us have grown up seeing this brand and aspiring to use one. Today, HMD Global’s India arm has launched the Nokia 3.1 in the country. This falls in the budget segment of smartphones from camp Nokia and the company has just brought the 2GB variant to India, not the 3GB one. Nokia 3.1 Price and availability Nokia 3.1 is priced at Rs 10,499 for the 2GB RAM + 16GB memory version here in India. The sales of the Nokia 3.1 start July 21 and one can purchase the device via Nokia stores and Paytm mall platform. The smartphone is available in three colour options of Blue, Black and White. As for the offers, users can avail Rs 250 movie cashback vouchers when buying the Nokia 3.1. Additionally, the users can get 10% cashback on recharges and bill payments when purchasing the smartphone using the Paytm Mall QR code. ICICI banks credit and debit card holders can also get 5 percent cashback when purchasing the phone with it. Ajey Mehta, Vice President and Country Head – India, HMD Global, says: “India is one of our top markets and Indian consumers, a top priority for us. We work to constantly enhance the experience on our phones to better suit the everyday needs of our consumers. Every single detail on a Nokia smartphone is designed with consumers in mind, which is why we are delighted to introduce a further refined Nokia 3.1 smartphone that delivers a dramatic step up on performance, continues to drive the most premium design elements and delivers the class-leading quality that you expect from us. We are delighted that we have been able to raise the bar on our most successful model for our consumers.” Nokia 3.1 Technical specifications Nokia 3.1 was first showcased in May at an event in Russia. It features a 5.2-inch HD+ display with 720x 1,440 pixels resolution and 18:9 aspect ratio. The screen is protected by Corning Gorilla glass. On the inside this smartphone has the MediaTek MT6750N chipset with a 1.5 GHz octa-core CPU. This is combined with 2GB of RAM and 16 GB on board storage. The storage can be further expanded with the help of a microSD card up to 128 GB. The Nokia 3.1 runs Android 8.0 out-of-the-box and supports 4G LTE and Wi-Fi 802.11ac. As for the cameras, this smart device features a 13MP AF rear camera with f/2.0 aperture and LED flash. The front facing camera has 8MP sensor with f/2.0 aperture. The Nokia 3.1 weighs 138.3 grams with the 2,990 mAh battery which powers the device and is claimed to last for a whole day. Other features of the smartphones include: Micro USB charging port, 3.5mm audio jack, Bluetooth 5.0, A-GPS and proximity, ambient light sensors along with gyroscope and magnetometer. For the latest gadget and tech news, and gadget reviews, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

Somehow the Chinese have overtaken the Korean and Americans when it comes to new-age technology and innovative stuff in smartphones. Vivo NEX is one such example, which was launched at Talkatora Stadium in New Delhi On Thursday. The smartphone boasts of pop-up selfie camera.  It was showcased globally couple of weeks ago in the form of Vivo NEX S, this is the flagship of the company and was launched with Vivo NEX A (that model has not been brought to India). Vivo NEX tech specs Vivo NEX hits all the right keynotes when it comes to specifications. To start with the Vivo NEX smartphone run on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 chipset, has 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB storage. For graphical performance this smartphone has the Adreno 630 GPU and is said to have a new cooling system on board that keeps the phone unruffled, even when graphically demanding games are played on it. The Vivo NEX sports a 6.59-inch FHD+ (1,080×2,316 pixels) super AMOLED ‘Ultra Fullview’ display with an aspect ratio of 19.3:9. This is an almost edge to edge display with the finger print sensor underneath it at the bottom and yes, no notch. Pretty cool if you ask us. The rear part sports a dual camera setup which is powered by 12MP primary Sony sensor with F/1.8 aperture and 4-axis optical image stabilisation. The other one is powered by 5 MP sensor and features an aperture size of f/2.4. Dual tone LED flash light has also been thrown in the mix. But, what takes the case is the front sliding selfie camera. This is powered by an 8MP sensor with f/2.0 aperture and modes such as Bokeh, Face Beauty and AR are available on it. These along with slow motion and HDR mode are also available on the rear camera module. The Vivo NEX houses two nano SIMS and the memory is expandable with the help of a microSD card by up to 128GB. As for the operating system this smartphone runs Android 8.1 Oreo right out of the box. Other features of the Vivo NEX include USB Type C charging, 3.5 mm audio jack, dual 4G LTE support, Wi-FI 802.11 ac, GPS, A-GPS and Bluetooth version 5.0. The smartphone weighs 199 grams and is 7.98mm thin. Vivo NEX Price and availability The Vivo NEX with all its innovations is priced competitively at Rs 44,990 in India and will start selling on Amazon as it exclusive online partner from 21st July. It will also be available on select partner stores, offline. Vivo is also giving Rs 5,000 off additionally as exchange offer. Other launch offers are one-time free screen replacement, HDFC cashback on credit and debit cards, and no-cost EMI up to 12 months. For the latest gadget and tech news, and gadget reviews, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.