Are there still any phones with a physical QWERTY keyboard?

Are you looking for the best phones with a physical keyboard? Your options are slimming down. There are still some devices you might want to consider if this is a feature you absolutely need, though. We’ll go over the best available options here.

The state of physical keyboard phones

A few years ago, most of us had entirely written off the idea of a phone with a physical keyboard, as the category was all but dead. Not wanting to let go, BlackBerry started pushing back. The revival of the physical keyboard began with the BlackBerry Priv but didn’t truly heat up until the BlackBerry KeyOne and Key2’s arrival. Unfortunately, it didn’t last, and hope seems to be dying.

TCL stopped making Blackberry phones, which left the BlackBerry brand languishing. Still, it had a fresh new owner in OnwardMobility, which promised it would offer a keyboard-toting 5G Blackberry phone. Sadly, the new company has shut down, and all plans for a new BlackBerry phone have also been canceled.

A crowdfunded phone, the ASTRO Slide 5G, successfully raised good money in 2020, and it had an expected October 2021 release date. Unfortunately, it seems like the device is still stuck in limbo and has yet to launch officially. Fxtec released the Pro1, and in 2019 also made an Indiegogo campaign for a successor, the Fxtec Pro1 X.

Still, the market for phones with a physical QWERTY keyboard continues to die off slowly, and some of you might be better off picking one of the best Android keyboards instead. If you still want a device with an actual keyboard, though, we’ll go through the best options available.

The best phones with a keyboard

• BlackBerry Key2
• BlackBerry Key2 LE
• Unihertz Titan Pocket
• Unihertz Titan Slim

Editor’s note: We’ll regularly update this list of the best phones with physical keyboards when and if new ones launch.

BlackBerry Key2

The BlackBerry Key2 offers several improvements over its predecessor. The keyboard received a facelift, featuring keys that are 20% larger than the ones on the KEYone. There’s also the Speed Key, a dedicated key on the bottom-right of the keyboard that lets you quickly jump to any app you’d like, from wherever you currently are on the screen.

The specs on the Key2 include two rear-facing 12MP sensors, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 processor, and 6GB of RAM, which is twice the memory that the KEYone contained. You can also get at least 64GB of onboard storage, although some versions sold outside the US will be able to get 128GB of storage. It comes with a 3,500mAh battery inside. Some excellent software security features include a Private Locker feature to place photos, files, videos, and even applications inside. You can only access this phone section with a fingerprint, PIN, or password.

The BlackBerry Key2 may be a bit of a niche device. Still, it will undoubtedly please hardcore BlackBerry fans or anyone who wants a solid smartphone made for business and security. It works with GSM wireless carriers, including AT&T and T-Mobile, and can still be found. The phone has been around since 2018, so it’s not a powerhouse. It’s also getting harder to get it brand-new.

Key2 specs:

BlackBerry Key2 LE

The BlackBerry Key2 LE is a cheaper version of the Key2. It looks more or less the same, although it sports a plastic instead of a metal body. Most of the changes between the two can be found under the hood, with the LE model offering less power. It comes with the Snapdragon 636 chipset, 4GB of RAM, and 32/64GB of storage.

The phone packs a smaller battery at 3,000mAh and has a different dual-camera setup with 13 and 5MP sensors. It has a 35-key physical keypad with a fingerprint scanner embedded into the space bar. Other specs and features include an 8MP selfie camera, expandable storage, and Android Oreo.

You can still find it, but you will have difficulty picking up a new unit. Regardless, it should be cheaper than the Key2, and is definitely one of the best phones with a physical keyboard.

Key2 LE specs:

Unihertz Titan Pocket

Mostly known for its tiny devices, it seems Unihertz is a company that likes to fill in markets other manufacturers ignore. The Unihertz Titan Pocket keeps phones with physical keyboards alive, as well as offering pretty good specs and features for a very reasonable price.

Aside from the well-made physical keyboard, you’ll get a rugged construction, an octa-core processor, 6GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, a 4,000mAh battery, and a 3.1-inch screen with a 716 X 720 resolution. It comes with Android 11. This isn’t a very recent Android version these days, but it is as recent as you can get from phones with a physical QWERTY keyboard.

If you prefer a slightly larger device, you should also look at the Unihertz Titan. It’s older, but it’s still a good option when there are so few of them.

Titan Pocket specs:

Unihertz Titan Slim

Unihertz has something much more sleek-looking and elegant if you don’t like rugged looks. The Unihertz Titan Slim follows a very similar design to BlackBerry’s Key2 devices but comes with different internals.

The unit features a Helio P70 chipset, 6GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage. The 4.2-inch 768 × 1,280p screen is a bit tiny, but you get a full QWERTY keyboard that will keep your fingers off the screen while typing. You’ll also get nifty features like a fingerprint reader, infrared, dual-SIM support, and a 4,100mAh battery.

It’s no champion, but this is one of the newest phones with a physical keyboard, considering it was released in 2022.

Titan Slim specs:

FAQs

As you can see, you don’t have many options to pick from. Maybe it’s time to let go of phones with physical keyboards finally? At least for now, it would be worth checking out our list of the best Android phones and best budget phones. If you absolutely want a physical keyboard, though, you can think about getting one of the best Bluetooth keyboards around and simply use it with any phone.